Transgastric Pancreaticogastric Anastomosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine short-term outcomes following middle pancreatectomy with transgastric pancreaticogastric anastomosis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: A retrospective analysis of 23 patients who underwent middle pancreatectomy with transgastric pancreaticogastric anastomosis at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, from June 22, 2005, through April 29, 2009. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Indications for procedure, operative time, length of stay, morbidity, mortality, and need for readmission, antibiotics, reoperation, additional procedures, or transfusion. RESULTS: The mean age of 15 women and 8 men who underwent middle pancreatectomy with transgastric pancreaticogastric anastomosis was 55.0 years. The median follow-up time was 12.9 months. The most commonly resected tumors were intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (n = 9), serous cystadenomas (n = 5), and neuroendocrine tumors (n = 4). The mean (SD) operative time was 191 (39) minutes. No patients required intraoperative transfusion. The median hospital stay was 5 days. The most common complications were pancreatic fistula (n = 6), intra-abdominal abscess (n = 4), and superficial skin infection (n = 4). Three patients had splenic artery pseudoaneurysms. Seven patients required readmission; 2 required reoperation. No patients developed postoperative new or worsening endocrine or exocrine insufficiency. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Middle pancreatectomy with transgastric pancreaticogastric anastomosis offers a safe alternative to the traditional Roux-en-Y pancreaticojejunostomy and may be technically simpler.