Stapler duodenojejunostomy reduces intraabdominal infection after combined pancreas kidney transplantation as compared with hand-sawn anastomosis

Surgical site infections: Guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice

These guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation review the diagnosis, prevention, and management of post-operative surgical site infections (SSIs) in solid organ transplantation. SSIs are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in SOT recipients. Depending on the organ transplanted, SSIs occur in 3%-53% of patients, with the highest rates observed in small bowel/multivisceral, liver, and pancreas transplant recipients. These infections are classified by increasing invasiveness as superficial incisional, deep incisional, or organ/space SSIs. The spectrum of organisms implicated in SSIs in SOT recipients is more diverse than the general population due to other important factors such as the underlying end-stage organ failure, immunosuppression, prolonged hospitalizations, organ transportation/preservation, and previous exposures to antibiotics in donors and recipients that could predispose to infections with multidrug-resistant organisms. In this guideline, we describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, potential pathogens, and management. We also provide recommendations for the selection, dosing, and duration of peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis to minimize post-operative SSIs.

Risk factors for surgical site infection after kidney and pancreas transplantation

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in a cohort of pancreas transplant recipients and assess predisposing risk factors for SSI DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study SETTING: Single transplant center in CanadaPatientsPatients who underwent any simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) or pancreas after kidney (PAK) transplant procedures between January 2000 and December 2015 METHODS: In this retrospective cohort evaluation of SPK or PAK recipients, we assessed the incidence of SSI and risk factors associated with superficial, deep, and organ/space SSI. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for SSI in SPK and PAK recipients.

RESULTS

In total, 445 adult transplant recipients were enrolled. The median age of these patients was 51 years (range, 19-71 years), and 64.9% were men. SSIs were documented in 108 patients (24.3%). Organ/space SSIs predominated (59 patients, 54.6%), followed by superficial SSIs (47 patients, 43.5%) and deep SSIs (3 patients, 2.8%). Factors predictive of SSIs in the multivariate analysis were cold pancreas ischemic time (odds ratio [OR], 1.002; P=.019) and SPK transplant (compared to PAK transplant recipients; OR, 2.38; P=.038). Patients with SSIs developed graft loss more frequently (OR, 16.99; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Organ/space SSIs remain a serious and common complication after SPK and PAK. Prolonged cold ischemic time and SPK transplant were the risk factors predictive of SSIs. Appropriate perioperative prophylaxis in high-risk patients targeting the potential pathogens producing SSIs in kidney and/or pancreas transplant recipients and a reduction in cold ischemia may prove beneficial in reducing these SSIs.

Surgical techniques for pancreas transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Pancreas transplantation reproducibly induces insulin independence in beta-cell penic diabetic patients. The difference between full insulin independence, partial graft function, and graft loss, mostly results from technical failure, graft rejection, and patient death with function graft. The purpose of this review is to examine recent surgical advances and discuss their contribution to improved graft function.

RECENT FINDINGS

Few actual surgical innovations were described in the period reviewed. Duodenoduodenostomy is an interesting option for drainage of digestive secretions, when the pancreas is placed behind the right colon and is oriented cephalad. The main advantage of this technique is easy endoscopic assessment of donor duodenum but, when allograft pancreatectomy is necessary, repair of native duodenum may be troublesome. Selective revascularization of the gastroduodenal artery, at the back-table, possibly improves blood supply to the head of the pancreas graft and duodenal segment. There is no proof that this additional maneuver is always beneficial, although it can be graft saving in case of poor segmental graft perfusion.

SUMMARY

Transplant surgeons should be familiar with all techniques for pancreas transplantation. Long-term graft function is possible only after technically successful pancreas transplantation. There is clearly a need for more objective assessment and standardization of surgical techniques for pancreas transplantation.

Relaparotomy after pancreas transplantation: causes and outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Surgical complications after pancreas transplantation, and subsequently relaparotomies, are frequently associated with graft loss, important morbidities, and occasionally patient death.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From March 1995 to September 2008, 118 diabetic patients underwent pancreas transplantation: 109 simultaneous pancreas-kidney and nine pancreas after kidney. There were 68 men and 50 women. Mean age at transplantation was 37.8 +/- 7.8 years (range = 25-66). We analyzed donor and recipient characteristics, rate of relaparotomies, risk factors, as well as patient and graft survivals.

RESULTS

Forty patients (33.9%) underwent one or more relaparotomies. The causes for relaparotomy were: graft thrombosis in 15 patients (12.7%), bleeding in 14 (11.9%), duodenal stump leak in 7 (5.9%), severe pancreatitis and/or abscess in 5 (4.2%), and small bowel obstruction in 3 (2.5%). Graft pancreatectomy was performed in 52.5% (21 patients). The causes of graft loss were: graft thrombosis in 15 patients (12.7%), bleeding in 14 (11.9%), and duodenal stump leaks in 7 (5.9%). Mortality rate after relaparotomy was 3.38% (four patients). Relaparotomy rate for thrombosis was higher among the portoiliac than the portocaval vein anastomosis group (20.0% vs 10.2%; P = NS), and significantly higher for the bladder drainage than the enteric drainage technique (18.2% vs 5.8%; P < .05). Patients without relaparotomy experienced a significantly higher 5-year graft survival rate than those who underwent relaparotomy (87.2% vs 37.9%; P < .001), but 5-year patient survivals were similar (96.8% without relaparotomy vs 89.6% with relaparotomy).

CONCLUSIONS

Abdominal complications and the necessity for relaparotomy were associated with important morbidity and significantly reduced pancreas graft survival.