Open AccessLaparoscopic palliation of unresectable pancreatic cancers: preliminary results
Author(s) -
Casaccia Marco,
Diviacco Pietro,
Molinello Pietro,
Danovaro Lorenzo,
Casaccia Mario
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
european journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1741-9271
pISSN - 1102-4151
DOI - 10.1080/110241599750006451
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterostomy , surgery , perioperative , pancreatic cancer , gastric outlet obstruction , ileus , endoscopy , pancreas , general surgery , cancer , gastrectomy
Objective: To assess the feasibility of laparoscopic gastroenteric and cholecystenteric bypass procedures for palliation of inoperable cancer of the pancreas. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Teaching hospital, Italy. Subjects: 6 patients (4 men and 2 women, range 53–72 years, median 64) who presented between July 1995 and April 1997 with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Interventions: Laparoscopic gastroenterostomy for duodenal obstruction. Four patients had already had endoscopic biliary decompression. 2 patients also had laparoscopic cholecystojejunostomy for biliary obstruction at the time of the laparoscopic gastroenterostomy. Main outcome measures: Morbidity and mortality. Results: The procedure was completed laparoscopically in all patients. There was no perioperative mortality and morbidity was low (1 bleeding from the drain and 1 paralytic ileus). The median postoperative stay was 4.5 days (range 4–6). Conclusions: Laparoscopic gastroenterostomy, together with cholecystojejunostomy in selected patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer, offers a less invasive alternative to open surgery with a short hospital stay and rapid return to normal activity. Copyright © 1999 Taylor and Francis Ltd.