Transcatheter fistula tract occlusion: a safe and effective treatment for grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula

Abstract

Asymptomatic low-output postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) often heal spontaneously within 21 days following surgery and are reported as cases of “biochemical leak.” However, some POPFs, especially those with high-output drainage1 frequently require more than 21 days to heal and are designated as grade B POPF. The reported frequency of grade B POPFs ranges from 16.4% to 22.1%.2 In addition to prolonged drainage, a majority of cases require enteral/parenteral nutrition and/or somatostatin analogs to decrease output and accelerate closure.