Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy: Evolution of a Technique at a Single Institution

BACKGROUND: The pancreas remains an organ for which routine laparoscopic resection is uncommon. STUDY DESIGN: This is a review of all distal pancreatectomies performed between January 2003 and December 2009 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Variables were compared between laparoscopic and open groups in unmatched and matched analyses. RESULTS: During the 7-year study period, 343 distal pancreatectomies were performed; 107 (31%) were attempted laparoscopically and 236 (69%) were performed open. The conversion rate was 30%. Laparoscopic patients were younger (median 60 vs 64 years, p < 0.0001), experienced less blood loss (median 150 vs 350 mL, p < 0.0001), longer operative times (median 163 vs 194 minutes, p < 0.0001), shorter hospital stay (median 5 vs 7 days, p < 0.0001), and had fewer postoperative complications (27% vs 40%, p = 0.03) than open patients. The rates of complications of grade 3 or greater (20% vs 20%, p = NS) and pancreatic leak (15% vs 13%, p = NS) were similar between laparoscopic and open groups. Patients having procedures that were converted had a higher body mass index (BMI) than patients who did not (28 vs 25, p = 0.035). Patients with converted resections experienced higher rates of complications of grade 3 or greater (36% vs 20%, p = 0.008) and pancreatic leaks (27% vs 13%, p = 0.03) than open patients. Compared with matched open patients, laparoscopic patients had longer operative times (195 minutes vs 160 minutes, p < 0.0001), less blood loss (175 mL vs 300 mL, p < 0.0001), and shorter hospital stay (5 days vs 6 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who had laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy experienced decreased blood loss and a shorter hospital stay compared with matched patients undergoing open resection. Careful patient selection is important because patients who required conversion experienced higher rates of complications and pancreatic leak. (J Am Coll Surg 2010;211:503-509. (C) 2010 by the American College of Surgeons)