Pancreatic Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pancreatic Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Wrapping of skeletonized and divided vessels using the falciform ligament in distal pancreatectomy.

Abe N, Sugiyama M, Yanagida O, Masaki T, Mori T, Atomi Y

Department of Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan. abenbtg@kyorin-u.ac.jp

BACKGROUND: A pancreatic fistula is a major cause of morbidity in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy (DP). A pancreatic fistula may expose skeletonized or divided vessels directly to pancreatic juice, creating a setting for vessel erosion and delayed intra-abdominal hemorrhage (DIH). With the aim of protecting vessels near the pancreatic stump from potential pancreatic fistulas, we have adopted a surgical option by which these vessels are wrapped using a pedicled falciform ligament. METHODS: After completing DP, the pedicled falciform ligament is spread out widely on major vessels exposed during resection near the pancreatic stump, and fixed to the surrounding retroperitoneal connective tissue. These procedures allow the complete separation of these vessels from the pancreatic stump. We reviewed the cases of 8 patients who underwent DP including these procedures. RESULTS: The mobilization of the falciform ligament and the wrapping of the vessels were successfully performed without any complications. Although 2 patients (14.5%) developed pancreatic fistulas, DIH did not occur in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The wrapping of the skeletonized and divided vessels using a pedicled falciform ligament is simple and easy, and may be an effective prophylactic measure against DIH following DP.

Published 11 June 2007 in Am J Surg, 194(1): 94-7.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Pancreatic Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.