Oncologic Outcomes of Robotic Left Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Single-Center Comparison to Laparoscopic Resection

Background Feasibility and safety of robotic surgery for pancreatic disease has been well demonstrated; however, there is scarce literature on long-term oncologic outcomes. We compared perioperative and oncologic outcomes between robotic left pancreatectomy (RLP) and laparoscopic left pancreatectomy (LLP) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods A retrospective review evaluated left pancreatectomies performed for pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 2009 to 2019 in a tertiary institution. Baseline characteristics, operative and oncologic outcomes were compared between RLP and LLP. Results There were 75 minimally invasive left pancreatectomy cases for pancreatic adenocarcinoma identified of which 33 cases were done robotically and 42 laparoscopically. Baseline characteristics demonstrated no difference in gender, age, BMI, T stage, N stage, neoadjuvant, or adjuvant chemotherapy. An analysis of operative variables demonstrated no difference in blood loss, increased duration, and higher lymph node yield with RLP (20 vs 12; P = .0029). Postoperatively, both cohorts had 30% pancreatic fistulas and no difference in complications. There were no differences in length of stay (LOS), 30- or 90-day readmission rates, or 90-day mortality. The analysis of oncologic outcomes demonstrated similar R0 resections (RLP: 72% vs OLP: 67%), recurrence rates (RLP: 36% vs OLP: 41%), and time to recurrence (RLP: 324 vs OLP 218 days). There was increased survival in the RLP cohort that was not significant (32 vs 19 months). Conclusion This analysis demonstrates RLP is at least equivalent to LLP in perioperative and oncologic outcomes. The significantly higher lymph node yield and trend toward an improved survival suggests oncologic advantage. Randomized controlled studies are needed to clarify benefit.

Impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 en la cirugía pancreática. Análisis en dos instituciones, una pública y otra privada

ABSTRACT Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced dramatic changes in the health system. Elective surgeries are the surgical activities with greater decline during the pandemic. Objective: The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in pancreatic surgery in a public and a private institution. The number of surgeries performed in each institution was compared with those performed in same period of the previous year. Material and methods: Data from a prospective database of all the patients who underwent pancreatic surgery between March 10, 2020, and June 3, 2020, were analyzed. The epidemiological data, type of pancreatic resection, pathology diagnosis, morbidity and mortality were determined in each institution and compared with patients who underwent pancreatic surgery in both institutions between March 3, 2019, and June 24, 2019. Results: 23 pancreatic resections were performed during the pandemic (13 cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomies, 9 left pancreatectomies and 1 total pancreatectomy); 70% (16/23) were adenocarcinomas. There were 34.7% complications and no deaths were reported. None of the patients was infected with coronavirus. The pandemic had no impact on the number of pancreatic resections in the private institution (22 vs. 20, p = 0.88), while the number of pancreatic surgeries was significantly lower in the public center (14 vs. 3, p = 0.009). Conclusion: Pancreatic surgery can be safely performed during the pandemic. The number of pancreatic surgeries did not decline during the pandemic. The priority for treating patients with COVID-19 at the public center resulted in a significant decrease in pancreatic surgeries. Keywords: pandemic, COVID 19, surgery, pancreas, pancreatic surgery, private center, public center, pancreaticoduodenectomy, left pancreatectomy.

You are not yourself when you are hungry: a rare case of malignant insulinoma

We present a rare case of high-grade functional neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas secreting insulin. Our patient, an 80 years old woman, presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms consistent with hypoglycaemia that regressed with food intake and dextrose administration. Abdominal imaging showed a pancreatic tumour with invasion of the spleen and lymph node metastasis, highly suggestive of an insulinoma as the cause of the hypoglycaemia. The patient underwent left pancreatectomy with splenectomy and atypical gastric resection. The postoperative course of our patient was uneventful, with complete remission of the hypoglycaemic episodes, and the definitive histological examination showed three poorly differentiated large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the pancreas.

Pancreatic microcystic serous cystadenoma: a lethal disease? Rare case of a life-threatening haemorrhage

Serous pancreatic cystadenomas are benign tumours and most cases are detected incidentally. Complications are unusual. A patient with a history of a large pancreatic serous cystadenoma (SCA) presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and haemodynamic shock. After haemodynamic stabilisation, an urgent abdominal CT scan revealed a large hemoperitoneum but the origin of the bleeding was not found. The patient was submitted to an angiography that revealed a bleeding hypervascular pancreatic mass and an embolisation was done successfully. After 3 weeks, the patient underwent a laparotomic left pancreatectomy with en bloc splenectomy. The anatomopathological results were consistent with a microcystic SCA of the pancreas. Despite the high vascularity of pancreatic SCA, haemorrhage is a very rare but life-threatening complication.