Management of delayed stenosis of pancreatico-enteric anastomosis following pancreatoduodenectomy

Endoscopic approach for biliopancreatic disease after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a 10-year single-center experience

BACKGROUND AND AIM

In surgically altered anatomy (SAA), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can be challenging, and it remains debatable the choice of the optimal endoscopic approach within this context. We aim to show our experience and evaluate the technical and clinical success of endoscopic treatment performed in the setting of adverse events (AE) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

METHODS

This study was conducted on a retrospective cohort of patients presenting biliopancreatic complications after PD from 01/01/2012 to 31/12/2022. All patients underwent ERCP at our Endoscopy Unit. Clinical, instrumental data, and characteristics of endoscopic treatments were collected.

RESULTS

133 patients were included (80 M, mean age = 65 y.o.) with a total of 296 endoscopic procedures (median = 2 procedures/treatment). The indications for ERCP were mainly biliary AE (76 cases, 57.1%). Technical success was obtained in 121 patients of 133 (90.9%). 112 out of 133 (84.2%) obtained clinical success. Nine patients out of 112 (8%) experienced AEs. Clinical success rates were statistically different between patients with biliary or pancreatic disease (93.4% vs 73.6%, p < 0.0001). Septic patients were 38 (28.6%) and showed a worse prognosis than non-septic ones (clinical success: 65.7% vs 91.5%, p = 0.0001). During follow-up, 9 patients (8%), experienced recurrence of the index biliopancreatic disease with a median onset at 20 months (IQR 6-40.1).

CONCLUSION

Our case series demonstrated that the use of a pediatric colonoscope in ERCP procedures for patients with AEs after PD is both safe and effective in treating the condition, even in a long-term follow-up.

Surgical treatment of pancreaticojejunal stenosis after pancreaticoduodenectomy: case report

Pancreaticoduodenectomy is established as the procedure of choice for malignant tumor pathologies of the head of the pancreas or ampulla, where the patient's life prognosis is low. Complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy (e.g. pancreatic fistulas, hemorrhages, or intra-abdominal collection) are well described in the literature and are generally acute. However, there is still a small risk for late complications (e.g. pancreatitis, pancreatic insufficiency), and due to its low incidence, there has not been a consensus on the treatment. We present the case of an 18-year-old female with recurrent bouts of acute pancreatitis as a late complication of a pancreaticoduodenectomy plus pancreatojejunal anastomosis due to a pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas. The complication was managed though surgical revision consisting of dilation and stent placement in the stenosis. The patient had an adequate postoperative evolution without further complications. Despite the advances in the surgical field, pancreaticoduodenectomy represents a highly complex surgery with high morbidity and mortality rates. The late complications of this surgery are under continuous study due to its low incidence associated with low patient survival.

Feasibility of Percutaneous Pancreatic Stent Placement in Postoperative Pancreaticojejunostomy Stenosis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of percutaneous pancreatic stent placement in postoperative pancreaticojejunostomy stenosis (PJS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective single-center study included seven procedures in five patients (four males and one female; median age, 63 years) who underwent percutaneous pancreatic stent placement for postoperative PJS between January 2005 and December 2021. The patients were referred to interventional radiology because of unfavorable anatomy or bowel abnormalities. The pancreatic duct was accessed under ultrasound and/or computed tomography guidance. A stent was placed after balloon dilatation of the PJS. Moreover, plastic stents were placed for the first two procedures, whereas bare-metal stents were used for the remaining five procedures. Technical success was defined as the successful placement of stents for the PJS, meanwhile, clinical success was defined as the normalization of pancreatic enzymes without recurrence of pancreatitis.

RESULTS

Pancreatic duct access and stent placement were successfully performed in all patients (technical success rate: 100%). All the procedures initially yielded clinical success. However, recurrence of pancreatitis was observed after two procedures that used plastic stents because of stent migration at 0.3 and 3 months after the procedure. In contrast, no instances of recurrent pancreatitis were noted after metal stent placement for a follow-up duration of 1-36 months. No serious procedure-related adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous pancreatic stent placement may be a viable option for patients with postoperative PJS in whom an endoscopic approach is not feasible. Metal stents may be considered over plastic stents for the management of PJS, considering the possible lower stent migration and infeasibility of frequent endoscopic stent exchange due to the altered anatomy.

Endoscopic ultrasound combined with enteroscopy for bilioenterostomy stenosis after pancreatoduodenectomy. The first attempt of a two-person operation

Bilioenterostomy stenosis is very challenging, and effective endoscopic treatment can prevent patients from undergoing surgery. We present a case of a patient with extremely narrow bilioenterostomy treated with simultaneous endoscopic ultrasonography and enteroscopy. It provides a new and feasible idea of endoscopic therapy for the treatment of such patients.

Surgical revision for pancreatojejunostomy stricture: a case series of 14 patients

Background

Pancreatojejunostomy stricture (PJS) is a rare long-term complication of pancreaticojejunal anastomosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of surgery in the management of pancreatojejunostomy strictures.

Methods

The database of the Pancreas Center of Nanjing Medical University was retrospectively screened for patients who underwent a surgical revision for PJS between June 2012 and August 2019, and their clinical characteristics and management modalities were reviewed.

Results

Fourteen consecutive cases were retrieved, the median age at index operation was 41.1 years (19–71). The average time between the two operations was 70.6 months (8–270 months). Index procedures included pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) (7/14, 50%), pylorus-preserving PD (4/14, 28.6%), Berger procedure (2/14, 14.3%), and middle pancreatectomy (1/14, 7.1%). The diameter of the main pancreatic duct was < 4 mm in all 14 cases, and nine underwent pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) stenting during the index operation. The most frequent complaints were abdominal pain (6/14, 42.9%), recurrent acute pancreatitis (6/14, 42.9%), pancreatic fistula (1/14, 7.1%), and abdominal distention (1/14, 7.1%). The diagnosis of PJ stricture was confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in all cases. All patients had a main duct diameter > 5 mm before surgical revision. All patients underwent wedge excision with interrupted one-layer suturing with absorbable sutures and without stent placement. In this series, only one patient required reoperation. Upon follow-up, 11 of 12 patients had complete resolution of the PJ stricture.

Conclusion

PJS is a long-term complication of pancreatojejunostomy. Surgical revision of the anastomosis is a safe and effective treatment modality.

Redo pancreaticojejunal anastomosis for late-onset complete pancreaticocutaneous fistula after pancreaticojejunostomy

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticojejunal (PJ) anastomosis occasionally fails several months after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with Child reconstruction and can ultimately result in a late-onset complete pancreaticocutaneous fistula (Lc-PF). Since the remnant pancreas is an isolated segment, surgical intervention is necessary to create internal drainage for the pancreatic juice; however, surgery at the previous PJ anastomosis site is technically challenging even for experienced surgeons. Here we describe a simple surgical procedure for Lc-PF, termed redo PJ anastomosis, which was developed at our facility.  METHODS: Between January 2008 and December 2020, six consecutive patients with Lc-PF after PD underwent a redo PJ anastomosis, and the short- and long-term clinical outcomes have been evaluated. The abdominal cavity is carefully dissected through a 10-cm midline skin incision, and the PJ anastomosis site is identified using a percutaneous drain through the fistula tract as a guide, along with the main pancreatic duct (MPD) stump on the pancreatic stump. Next, the pancreatic stump is deliberately immobilized from the dorsal plane to prevent injury to the underlying major vessels. After fixing a stent tube to both the MPD and the Roux-limb using two-sided purse-string sutures, the redo PJ anastomosis is completed using single-layer interrupted sutures. Full-thickness pancreatic sutures are deliberately avoided by passing the needle through only two-thirds of the anterior side of the pancreatic stump.

RESULTS

The redo PJ anastomosis was performed without any intraoperative complications in all cases. The median intraoperative bleeding and operative time were 71 (range 10-137) mL and 123 (range 56-175) min, respectively. Even though a new mild pancreatic fistula developed postoperatively in all cases, it could be conservatively treated within 3 weeks, and no other postoperative complications were recorded. During the median follow-up period of 92 (range 12-112) months, no complications at the redo PJ anastomosis site were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

This research shows that the redo PJ anastomosis for Lc-PF we developed is a safe, feasible, and technically no demanding procedure with acceptable short- and long-term clinical outcomes. This procedure has the potential to become the preferred treatment strategy for Lc-PF after PD.

Which Suture to Choose in Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Surgery? Assessment of the Influence of Pancreatic Juice and Bile on the Resistance of Suturing Materials—In Vitro Research

(1) Background: The choice of appropriate surgical suture during operation is of great significance. Currently, there are no objective studies regarding the resistance of commonly used sutures in biliary tract surgery. (2) Methods: This fact leads one to conduct research concerning the resistance of the sutures (Polydioxanone, Poliglecaprone, Poliglactin 910, and their analogues coated with antibacterial triclosan) in the environment of sterile and contaminated bile and pancreatic juice. Tensile strength was tested at days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 of research. The study was performed in in vitro conditions for 28 days. (3) Results: Pancreatic juice and bile has a significant influence on the tensile strength of each suture. (4) Conclusions: The study indicated that sutures made of polydioxanone had the best qualities during the entire experiment.

EUS-guided drainage of the pancreatic duct for the treatment of postoperative stenosis of pancreatico-digestive anastomosis or pancreatic duct stenosis complicating chronic pancreatitis: Experience at a tertiary care center

Background and Objectives

For the treatment of pancreatic duct stenosis due to chronic pancreatitis (CP) or postoperative (PO) stenosis, endoscopic procedures are usually the first choice. In cases of failure of the recommended treatment by ERCP, anastomosis between the Wirsung duct and the stomach or duodenum can be performed under EUS guidance. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the outcomes of pancreatico-gastric or pancreaticoduodenal anastomosis under EUS for PO stenosis versus CP stenosis.

Subjects and Methods

This was a retrospective, single-center, consecutive case study of patients who underwent EUS-guided Wirsungo-gastric/bulbar anastomosis.

Results

Forty-three patients were included. Twenty-one patients underwent treatment for PO stenosis, and 22 patients underwent treatment for CP stenosis. The technical success rate was 95.3% (41/43), with 100% in cases of PO stenosis and 90.9% in cases of CP stenosis. The clinical success rate was 72.5% (29/40): 75% (15/20) in cases of PO stenosis and 70% (14/20) in cases of CP stenosis. The overall morbidity rate was 34.9% (15/43). The main complication was postprocedural pain, occurring in 20.9% (9/443) of patients. The rate of stent migration or obstruction was 27.9% (12/43). There was no difference in patient outcomes or morbidity according to the etiology of the stenosis. The median follow-up duration in this study was 14 months.

Conclusions

EUS-guided Wirsungo-gastric/duodenal anastomosis is a feasible, minimally invasive, safe, and relatively effective procedure. The rates of technical success, clinical success, and complications were not different between patients with PO and CP stenosis. However, the follow-up period was too short to assess recurrent symptoms in these patients.

Therapeutic interventional endoscopic ultrasound in pancreato-biliary disorders: Does it really replace the surgical/percutaneous approach?

Pancreato-biliary disorders are still incredibly challenging in the field of gastroenterology, as they would sometimes require multi-approach interventional procedures. Recently, therapeutic interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has emerged as a potential alternative to surgical or percutaneous approaches. Unfortunately, considering the high cost of EUS, lack of facility and expertise, most gastroenterologists still often refer cases to undergo surgical interventions without contemplating the possibility of utilizing EUS first. EUS-guided biliary drainage has become one of the best choices for establishing access to biliary system, given the clear visualization of pancreas, gallbladder, and common bile duct. Although there are still only a few studies which directly compare EUS-guided and surgical approaches for biliary drainage, current evidence demonstrated the superiority of EUS-guided approach in terms of adverse events and re-intervention rates, with similarly high technical and clinical success rates compared to percutaneous and surgical approaches, especially in patients with history of failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography attempt. Comparable success rates with shorter length of hospital stay between endoscopic and surgical approaches have also been exhibited for pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis. Recent findings about the progress of EUS approach in gastroenterostomy/jejunostomy also indicated a promising potential of EUS, as a less invasive approach, for managing gastric outlet obstruction.

Intragastric Single-Port Surgery: An Innovative and Multipurpose Technique for the Therapy of Upper Digestive Tract Lesions

Background: Endoscopic treatment can represent a technical challenge for several special situations, such as resecting gastric tumors with larger size or in unfavorable sites and performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). This study aims to describe an innovative and multipurpose technique, intragastric single-port surgery (IGS), which can be applied for abovementioned special situations and for assessing its safety, feasibility, and efficacy. Methods: IGS technique was performed through a 2-3 cm skin incision, where the stomach wall is exteriorized and fixed to the skin. The single-port device is inserted and intragastric access is gained for laparoscopic or endoscopic instruments. Three purposes of IGS were performed: (1). gastric intraluminal lesions resection; (2). to perform ERCP after RYGB; and (3). revision of pancreaticogastric anastomosis after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Results: IGS was performed successfully in 20 patients. Ten patients underwent gastric intraluminal lesion resection, mostly for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (n = 7, 70%); all pathological specimens were with negative margin, mean operation time was 102.3 ± 43.5 minutes, and mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.6 ± 1.5 days. Nine patients underwent ERCP after RYGB, cleaning of the bile duct was successful in all patients (100%), and mean operation time and mean postoperative hospital stay were 140.6 ± 46.3 minutes and 4.4 ± 2.6 days, respectively. One patient underwent pancreaticogastric anastomosis revision. There were no mortalities in our series. Conclusions: IGS is a safe, feasible, and effective technique for gastric intraluminal lesion resection and for performing ERCP after RYGB, while it has the potential for other future applications.