Mesenterico-portal vein resection in patients with pancreatico-duodenal cancer is safe and may increase survival

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most serious gastrointestinal cancers, and in the US and Europe it is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Radical surgery is the only option available for long-term survival. The aim of this study was to describe the surgical technique and the results of portal vein/superior mesenteric vein resection in patients with pancreatic cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1 April 2009 and 1 April 2013, 354 patients underwent resection for pancreatic malignancy. A total of 47 portal vein/superior mesenteric vein resections were performed in 22 men and 25 women.

RESULTS: A total of 44 patients (93.7%) had ductal adenocarcinomas. In all, 39 patients (83%) had T3 tumours, and 38 patients (80.9%) had involvement of lymph nodes. Furthermore, 29 patients (62%) had a pancreaticoduodenectomy, 15 patients (32%) a total pancreatectomy and three patients (6%) had a distal pancreatectomy. Six patients (17%) were reconstructed with interposition grafts, and vessels (83%) were reconstructed with an end-to-end anastomosis in the remaining 39 patients. Surgical morbidity was 29.8%, and 19.1% had non-surgical complications. The perioperative mortality (30 days) was 0%. The median survival was 25.2 months (confidence interval: 19-31.4).

CONCLUSION: Resection of the portal vein/superior mesenteric vein is a safe procedure. It is not associated with an increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. This latter finding is in accordance with the findings in other high-volume centres. The median survival was far better than expected, especially since our material included a considerable number of patients with lymph node metastases.

FUNDING: not relevant.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.