Stent versus surgery

Histologic Tumor Grade and Preoperative Bilary Drainage are the Unique Independent Prognostic Factors of Survival in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal types of cancer; most patients die during the first 6 months after diagnosis. With a 5% 5-year survival rate, is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. In this regard, several clinical, histopathologic and biological characteristics of the disease favoring long-term survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy have been reported to be significant prognostic factors. Despite the availability of this information, there is no consensus about the different prognostic factors reported in the literature, probably due to variations in patient selection, methods, and sample size studied. The aim of this study was to identify the clinical and pathologic features associated to prognosis of the disease after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical and pathologic data from 78 patients who underwent a potentially curative resection for PDAC at our institution between 2003 and 2014 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Overall, high-grade PDAC cases showed larger tumor size (P=0.009) and a higher frequency of deaths in association with a nonsignificantly shortened patient overall survival (median of 12.5 vs. 21.7 mo; P=0.065) as compared with low-grade PDAC patients. High histologic grade (P=0.013), preoperative drainage on the main bile duct (P=0.014) and absence of adjuvant therapy (P=0.035) were associated with a significantly poorer outcome. Overall survival multivariate analysis showed histologic grade (P=0.019) and bile duct preoperative drainage (P=0.016) as the sole independent variables predicting an adverse outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that histologic tumor grade and preoperative biliary drainage are the only significant independent prognostic factors in PDAC patients after pancreatectomy.

Therapeutic Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound Based on Rare Cases in Indonesia: A Single-Center Experience in Unselected Patients

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is still not widely available and has a barrier in most Southeast Asian countries due to lack of training program, high cost, and hospital investment. In this study, we would like to show the impact of therapeutic interventional EUS procedures in gastroenterology practice in Indonesia, which represents the biggest Southeast Asian country.

METHODS

Patients who underwent interventional EUS procedure in Medistra Hospital were prospectively recruited within 1 year.

RESULTS

Of 147 patients who underwent EUS procedures, 39 patients underwent fine needle aspiration. Most of the cases suffered from pancreatic cancer (47.5%) followed by ampullary cancer (20%), gastric subepithelial mass (10%), and other conditions. There were 4 rare cases that underwent therapeutic interventional EUS procedures. Patients with large mesenteric cyst attached to the gastric wall and large left liver lobe cyst with gastric compression who were previously suspected with gastrointestinal stromal tumor were successfully managed by cyst aspiration. One patient with a large pseudocyst due to chronic pancreatitis was successfully managed by plastic stent placement. Another patient with duodenal duplication cyst causing duodenal obstruction was managed by inserting a plastic stent through the cyst. No complications were observed during and after the therapeutic EUS procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Innovation in interventional EUS has a high impact in gastroenterology practice as well as in a developing country like Indonesia, which represents the biggest Southeast Asian country. Further developments are needed regarding the cost, investment, and especially the necessary training curriculum to make this technology available in tertiary referral centers.

Role of preoperative biliary stents, bile contamination and antibiotic prophylaxis in surgical site infections after pancreaticoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND

The routine use of preoperative biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains controversial. This observational retrospective study compared stented and non-stented patients undergoing PD to assess any differences in post-operative morbidity and mortality.

METHODS

A total of 180 consecutive patients who underwent PD and had intra-operative bile cultures performed between January 2010 and February 2013 were retrospectively identified. All patients received peri-operative intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis, primarily cefazolin.

RESULTS

Overall incidence of post-operative surgical complications was 52.3 %, with no difference between stented and non-stented patients (53.4 % vs. 51.1 %; p = 0.875). However, stented patients had a significantly higher incidence of deep incisional surgical site infections (SSIs) (p = 0.038). In multivariate analysis, biliary stenting was confirmed as a risk factor for deep incisional SSIs (p = 0.044). Significant associations were also observed for cardiac disease (p = 0.010) and BMI ≥25 kg/m(2) (p = 0.045). Enterococcus spp. were the most frequent bacterial isolates in bile (74.5 %) and in drain fluid (69.1 %). In antimicrobial susceptibilty testing, all Enterococci isolates were cefazolin-resistant.

CONCLUSION

Given the increased risk of deep incisional SSIs, preoperative biliary stenting in patients underging PD should be used only in selected patients. In stented patients, an antibiotic with anti-enterococcal activity should be chosen for PD prophylaxis.

Surgical management of chronic pancreatitis: current utilization in the United States

BACKGROUND

Surgical intervention is uncommon in chronic pancreatitis. Literature largely describes single institution or international experiences. This study describes US-based chronic pancreatitis surgical management.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of chronic pancreatitis patients in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Florida State Inpatient Database 2007-2011. Patients with malignancy or congenital abnormalities were excluded. Univariate analysis using the chi-square test. The number of readmissions, inpatient length of stay and cost using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test. Multivariate analysis of surgery by logistic regression.

RESULTS

Twenty-one thousand four hundred and forty-five patients with chronic pancreatitis. 10.8% (2 307) underwent surgery including 1652 cholecystectomies, 564 drainage procedures and 498 pancreatectomies. Procedures decreased from 12.1% to 8.3% over time (P < 0.001), but intervention within 3 months increased (7.2% to 8.4%; P = 0.017). 15.3% (3 278) had pancreatic cysts/pseudocysts and 43.4% (9 312) had diabetes. The median numbers of admissions were 2 [interquartile range (IQR) 1,5] and 3 (IQR 2,7) among non-surgical and surgical patients, respectively (P < 0.001). Predictors of surgery were fewer co-morbidities, private insurance, and either diabetes mellitus or pancreatic cyst/pseudocyst.

CONCLUSION

Chronic pancreatitis leads to numerous inpatient readmissions, but surgical intervention only occurs in a minority of cases. Complicated patients are more likely to undergo surgery. The complexities of chronic pancreatitis management warrant early multidisciplinary evaluation and ongoing consideration of surgical and non-surgical options.

Double Sigmoid colon perforation due to migration of a biliary stent

Migration of pancreatico-biliary stents is a rare event, usually benign, but which can lead to severe complications such as digestive tube perforation. We report the case of a patient with double sigmoid perforation due to distal migration of a biliary stent placed to decompress a pancreatic head carcinoma.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of prophylactic gastroenterostomy for unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

The value of prophylactic gastroenterostomy (usually combined with a biliary bypass) in patients with unresectable cancer of the pancreatic head is controversial.

METHODS

A systematic review of retrospective and prospective studies, and a meta-analysis of prospective studies, on the use of prophylactic gastroenterostomy for unresectable pancreatic cancer were performed.

RESULTS

Analysis of retrospective studies did not reveal any advantage or disadvantage of prophylactic gastroenterostomy. Three prospective studies comparing prophylactic gastroenterostomy plus biliodigestive anastomosis with no bypass or a biliodigestive anastomosis alone were identified (altogether 218 patients). For patients who had prophylactic gastroenterostomy, the chance of gastric outlet obstruction during follow-up was significantly lower (odds ratio (OR) 0.06 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 0.02 to 0.21); P < 0.001). The rates of postoperative delayed gastric emptying were similar in both groups (OR 1.93 (95 per cent c.i. 0.57 to 6.53); P = 0.290), as were morbidity and mortality. The estimated duration of hospital stay after prophylactic gastroenterostomy was 3 days longer than for patients without bypass (weighted mean difference 3.1 (95 per cent c.i. 0.7 to 5.5); P = 0.010).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic gastroenterostomy should be performed during surgical exploration of patients with unresectable pancreatic head tumours because it reduces the incidence of long-term gastroduodenal obstruction without impairing short-term outcome.