Portal Vein Reconstruction With Cadaveric Descending Thoracic Aortic Homograft

Abstract

Improvements in chemoradiotherapy have rendered more complex pancreatic cancer involving the portomesenteric venous axis amenable to surgical resection. Portal vein reconstruction (PVR) has become an essential component of the operative approach. For defects of >50% of the portal vein circumference, segmental replacement will be required. Various conduits have been proposed; however, the optimal repair medium remains unknown. We have presented the midterm results of the largest series to date using an interposition cryopreserved cadaveric descending thoracic aortic homograft (CDTA) for PVR.