Cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy with preservation of a right coronary artery bypass graft using the right gastro-epiploic artery: a case report

Introduction: Pancreatic cancer is a rare disease with a high mortality rate, for which complete surgical resection, when possible, is the preferred therapeutic. Pancreaticoduodenectomy represents the surgical technique of choice. Abdominal surgeons can be faced with the challenge of patients with a history of coronary artery bypass graft in which the right gastro-epiploic artery is used.

Case report: We report the case of a patient with an adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head, stage IIA, having previously undergone a triple coronary artery bypass, one of which being a right gastro-epiploic graft. Our challenge was underlined by the necessity of a complete oncological resection through a cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy while preserving the necessary cardiac perfusion via the right gastro-epiploic artery.

Conclusion: We have been able to preserve a right gastro-epiploic artery as a coronary bypass during a cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy for a cephalic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We have successfully been able to preserve and re-implant the right gastro-epiploic artery to the origin of the gastroduodenal artery while insuring R0 resection of the tumor. A coronary artery bypass using the right gastro-epiploic artery should therefore not be considered as an obstacle to a Whipple’s procedure if total oncological resection is obtainable.