Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Tumors: Does Size Matter?

© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel. Background: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) for large pancreatic tumors may require prolonged dissection, and this could be associated with increased operative time and intraoperative complications. Methods: From a total cohort of 190 consecutive patients undergoing LDP, 18 patients were found to have pancreatic tumors >5 cm and were included in the retrospective study of prospectively collected data. Three techniques were used to approach the splenic vessels: the superior pancreatic, the inferior supracolic and post-pancreatic transection. Results: Of these 18 patients, 13 were women and 5 were men, the median age was 68 years and their median tumor size 7 cm. Exocrine pancreatic malignancy was diagnosed in 8 patients, 6 patients had neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors and 4 patients cystic neoplasm. The median number of resected nodes was 14. R 1 resections for exocrine pancreatic malignancies were found in 50% of patients. Morbidity (grade >II) was found in 16.6% of patients and 30 days mortality in 1 patient. Overall median survival was 50 months and 29 months for patients with exocrine pancreatic malignancies. Conclusions: LDP for large tumors, while technically demanding, is possible without additional morbidity and did not compromise short- and long-term oncological outcomes.