Total Pancreatectomy In Patients Research Articles

Pancreatic Resection with Islet Cell Autotransplant for the Treatment of Severe Chronic Pancreatitis

Pancreatic resection can alleviate pain in properly selected patients with severe chronic pancreatitis (CP), although the apancreatic state causes "brittle" diabetes. Islet auto-transplantation (IAT) after resection can decrease diabetes-related morbidity. Twenty-six consecutive patients with CP who underwent 27 pancreatic resections with IAT from April 2005 to December 2007 were evaluated in this retrospective case control study. Data were collected by chart and operative note reviews and query of hospital databases. Subgroup analysis was performed on 21 cases of total pancreatectomy and six cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Mean age was 43.8 years and 46.2 per cent of patients were female. The most common etiology of CP was alcoholism (34.6%), followed by idiopathic causes (30.8%) and pancreatic divisum (23.1%). There was no mortality and the complication rate was 56 per cent. Islet equivalents infused and islet equivalents/gram of pancreas were 82,094 and 2,739 respectively. Mean discharge insulin dose was 10.7 units/day. Mean follow-up was 6.5 months. At 6 months, 80 per cent of patients reporting had decreased or eliminated their use of narcotic medication and all total pancreatectomy patients required insulin (mean 23 units/day). In appropriately selected patients, pancreatic resection with IAT is safe and effective for the treatment of intractable pain associated with CP.

Pancreas Allotransplants in Patients with a Previous Total Pancreatectomy for Chronic Pancreatitis

A total pancreatectomy is the last resort in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis because it results in complete endocrine and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. More than 50% of total pancreatectomy patients experience severe glucose control problems, which cause up to 50% of late deaths. Between June 1, 1986, and May 15, 2007, we performed 26 pancreas allotransplants (18 primary, 8 retransplants) in 18 patients who had previously undergone a total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis. All patients had a history of labile diabetes mellitus with hypoglycemic unawareness; secondary diabetic complications developed in 12. The median time interval from the total pancreatectomy to the pancreas allotransplant was 5 years (range 9 months to 22 years). Of the 26 transplants, 6 were performed in the cyclosporine (CSA) era, 15 in the tacrolimus (TAC) era, and 5 in the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-free era. Patient survival rates at 1 and 3 years in both the CSA and TAC eras were 100% and 100%; in the CNI-free era, at 1 year, the survival rate was 40%. Pancreas graft survival rates in the CSA era were 67% and 50% at 1 and 3 years, respectively; in the TAC era, 73% and 51%, respectively; and in the CNI-free era, at 1 year, 40% (p=0.13). The mean number of rejection episodes in the CSA era was 2.1; in the TAC era, 1.4; and in the CNI-free era, 0.6. Our series of pancreas allotransplants in patients with a previous total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis showed that pancreas graft survival rates of more than 70% can be achieved with TAC-based immunosuppression; pancreas transplants can successfully treat both endocrine and exocrine insufficiency; and sequential pancreas allotransplants should be considered a treatment option in patients with pancreatectomy-induced brittle diabetes mellitus or with progression of secondary complications of diabetes mellitus.

Transplant options for patients undergoing total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis.

Total pancreatectomy to treat chronic pancreatitis is associated with severe diabetic control problems in 15% to 75% of patients, causing up to 50% of deaths late postoperatively. We report our experience with islet autotransplants at the time of, or with pancreas allotransplants after, total pancreatectomy. Between February 1, 1977, and June 30, 2003, we performed 112 islet autotransplants at the time of total pancreatectomy; we also performed 20 pancreas allotransplants in 13 patients who had already undergone total pancreatectomy months to years earlier. Islet autotransplants at the time of total pancreatectomy in patients who had not had previous operations on the body and tail of the pancreas were associated with a high islet yield (>2,500 islet equivalents/kg body weight), and >70% of the recipients achieved complete insulin independence. In contrast, a previous distal pancreatectomy or a Puestow drainage procedure was associated with a low islet yield in 75% of them and with complete insulin independence in <20%. A pancreas allotransplant after total pancreatectomy was not associated with any transplant-related mortality at 1 and 3 years posttransplant. The pancreas graft survival rate at 1 year posttransplant was 77% with tacrolimus-based immunosuppression (versus 67% with cyclosporine). Enteric (over bladder) drainage was preferred to manage exocrine graft secretions, to cure pancreatectomy-induced endocrine and exocrine insufficiency. Our series shows that pancreas allotransplants can be performed without transplant-related mortality and, when tacrolimus-based immunosuppression is used, with 1-year pancreas graft survival rates >75%. In contrast to a simultaneous islet autotransplant, a pancreas allotransplant has the disadvantage of requiring lifelong immunosuppression, but the advantage of not only curing endocrine but also exocrine insufficiency. Both transplant options, if successful, improve the recipient's quality of life.

The pylorus preserving Whipple procedure for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis.

A schema is developed that outlines criteria to consider more than medical therapy for patients with severe pancreatitis that develop disabling abdominal pain. If the symptomatic patient has severe chronic pancreatitis that reaches the Cambridge Class V "marked" stage of image severity then endotherapy is indicated. If endotherapy fails then surgery is indicated. Usually these patients will have pathological changes centered in the pancreatic head and PPW is performed. After an average follow-up of > 4 years PPW was observed to provide either good to excellent relief of disabling abdominal pain. These patients were highly selected by the guidance of the anatomic profile of the composite pancreas. Long-term follow-up has never been available with cancer patients after the Whipple procedure. These chronic pancreatitis patients after PPW showed few GI side effects. In addition we did not observe a predisposition for diabetes other than that from the continued parenchymal destruction from smoldering chronic pancreatitis in the pancreatic remnant. Surgeons should avoid total pancreatectomy in patients, even if the patient is already diabetic. Marginal ulceration is highly associated with the total resection. From this personal experience using anatomic criteria and close follow-up, it is hoped that the long term outcomes of pain relief in virtually all patients after PPW will represent a benchmark for results after procedures which employ less resection. Therapy should be based on reliable imaging criteria to select patients. Then the outcomes of new and promising procedures such as lithotripsy or limited head resections can be compared to the benchmarks derived after PPW. None of the new procedures, however address the main problem after PPW of remnant pancreatitis in the pancreatic body/tail. Even though this discomfort is no longer disabling after head resection remnant pancreatitis does occur in approximately one out of four patients.

Factors influencing survival after total pancreatectomy in patients with pancreatic cancer.

A retrospective analysis of factors influencing short-term and long-term survival after total pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer was done in 86 patients. Among the 41 factors studied, hospital mortality was significantly affected by age over 70 years, preoperative diabetes, pain as presenting symptom, S-bilirubin, preoperative bile drainage, prophylactic antibiotic treatment, stage of the tumor, and experience of the surgeon. The only factors which had a statistically significant influence on long-term survival were stage of the tumor and sex of the patient. It is concluded that improvement of long-term survival can mainly be achieved by earlier identification and removal of the tumors and by introduction of more efficient adjuvant therapy. Whereas these goals probably will require a long time to be reached, the majority of factors associated with worsening of hospital mortality may be avoided by a strict selection of the patient, the tumor and the surgeon.