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Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a troublesome complication after pancreatic surgeries, and grade C POPF is the most serious situation among pancreatic fistulas. At present, the incidence of grade C POPF varies from less than 1% to greater than 9%, with an extremely high postoperative mortality rate of 25.7%. The patients with grade C POPF finally undergo surgery with a poor prognosis after various failed conservative treatments. Although various surgical and perioperative attempts have been made to reduce the incidence of grade C POPF, the rates of this costly complication have not been significantly diminished. Hearteningly, several related studies have found that intra-abdominal infection from intestinal flora could promote the development of grade C POPF, which would help physicians to better prevent this complication. In this review, we briefly introduced the definition and relevant risk factors for grade C POPF. Moreover, this review discusses the two main pathways, direct intestinal juice spillover and bacterial translocation, by which intestinal microbes enter the abdominal cavity. Based on the abovementioned theory, we summarize the operation techniques and perioperative management of grade C POPF and discuss novel methods and surgical treatments to reverse this dilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is technical challenging to perform laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (LDPPHR). Only a few case reports and case series of LDPPHR are available in the literature. Materials and methods: From February 2019 to November 2019, 24 cases of LDPPHR were carried out in the Department of Pancreas Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Data were prospectively collected in terms of demographic characteristics (age, gender, BMI, and pathological diagnosis), intraoperative variables (operative time, estimated blood loss, transfusion, pancreatic texture, and diameter of main pancreatic duct), and post-operative variables (time for oral intake, post-operative hospital stay, and complications). Results: Nine male patients and fifteen female patients were included in this study. The median age of these patients was 43 years. All patients underwent duodenum-preserving total pancreatic head resection laparoscopically. The median operative time was 255 min. The median estimated blood loss was 200 ml. One patient required blood transfusion. The median post-operative hospital stay was 10 days. Three patients suffered from biliary fistula. Eleven patients (45.8%) suffered from pancreatic fistula; however, only one patient (4.2%) suffered from grade B pancreatic fistula. No patient suffered from grade C pancreatic fistula. One patient with chronic pancreatitis required re-operation for jejunal anastomotic bleeding on the first post-operative day. No patient suffered from gastroparesis, duodenal necrosis, or abdominal bleeding. The 30-day mortality was 0. Conclusion: LDPPHR is safe and feasible. Real-time indocyanine green fluorescence imaging may help prevent bile duct injury and bile leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The survival of pancreatic cancer patients with lesions in different locations is unclear. In addition, the different surgery types for nonmetastatic pancreatic head cancer (PHC) or body/tail cancer (PBTC) have different prognostic influences. We analyzed the association by stage between tumor location (head vs. body/tail) and survival of nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgery. Methods: We identified stages I to III pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgery from 2004 through 2015 by using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for cancer-specific survival (CSS) were obtained using Cox regression. Results: A total of 13517 patients or 86.6% had PHC. PHC patients were more likely to have an advanced tumor stage, higher tumor grade, and more frequent and a higher number of positive lymph nodes compared with PBTC patients. The PHC patients had a worse CSS than PBTC patients (P<0.001) and were predominantly at stage I (P = 0.008) and II (P = 0.004). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that PHC was an independent prognostic factor associated with a worse CSS in pancreatic cancer patients (HR 1.132, 95% CI 1.042–1.228, P = 0.003), predominantly at stage II (HR 1.128, 95% CI 1.030–1.235, P = 0.009). Conclusion: At a resectable early stage, the PHC patients had a worse CSS than PBTC patients after surgery. PHC was an independent prognostic factor associated with worse survival in pancreatic cancer patients, predominantly at stage II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is considered to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of pancreatic cancer after surgery for CP and to determine the risk factors.Methods: The patients who underwent surgery for histologically documented CP between January 2009 and December 2017 were reviewed. The baseline characteristics, operative data, postoperative complications, and follow-up information were analysed. We calculated standardized incidence ratio on the base of the incidence of pancreatic cancer in the standard population in China. The risk factor for pancreatic cancer was assessed using Cox regression.Results: Among 650 patients, pancreatic cancer was detected in 12 patients (1.8%) after a median follow-up of 4.4 years. The standardized incidence ratio of pancreatic cancer was 68.12 (95% CI, 35.20-118.99). Two independent risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis after surgery were identified: time interval to surgery [HR 1.005, 95% CI (1.002-1.008), P = 0.002] and de novo endocrine insufficiency [HR 10.672, 95% CI (2.567-44.372), P = 0.001].Conclusions: Patients who require surgery for CP are at a very high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Early surgical intervention plays a protective role in the development of pancreatic cancer from CP. A high index of suspicion for pancreatic cancer should be maintained in CP patients with de novo postoperative diabetes after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]