Distal pancreatectomy with centrifugal dissection of splenic vessels

We describe a technique of distal pancreatectomy begining with division of pancreatic neck before control of splenic vessels. Early neck division allows safer vascular control. For distal pancreatectomy, primary section of the neck and splenic vessels ligation, combined with division of left gastro-epiploic and short gastric vessels, precedes mobilization of a devascularized specimen, decreases operative bleeding and seems more logical from a carcinologic point of view. Furthermore, this technique could be the first step of left pancreatectomy with splenic preservation. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.