Carcinoma of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. Tumor staging with laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: The authors performed a prospective evaluation of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography in predicting surgical resectability in patients with carcinomas of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Pancreatic resection with curative intent is possible in a select minority of patients who have carcinomas of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. Patient selection is important to plan appropriate therapy and avoid unnecessary laparotomy in patients with unresectable disease. Laparoscopic ultrasonography is a novel technique that combines the proven benefits of staging laparoscopy with high resolution intraoperative ultrasound of the liver and pancreas, but which has yet to be evaluated critically in the staging of pancreatic malignancy. METHODS: A cohort of 40 consecutive patients referred to a tertiary referral center and with a diagnosis of potentially resectable pancreatic or periampullary cancer underwent staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography. The diagnostic accuracy of staging laparoscopy alone and in conjunction with laparoscopic ultrasonography was evaluated in predicting tumor resectability (absence of peritoneal or liver metastases; absence of malignant regional lymphadenopathy; tumor confined to pancreatic head or periampullary region). RESULTS: "Occult" metastatic lesions were demonstrated by staging laparoscopy in 14 patients (35%). Laparoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated factors confirming unresectable tumor in 23 patients (59%), provided staging information in addition to that of laparoscopy alone in 20 patients (53%), and changed the decision regarding tumor resectability in 10 patients (25%). Staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography was more specific and accurate in predicting tumor resectability than laparoscopy alone (88% and 89% versus 50% and 65%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Staging laparoscopy is indispensable in the detection of "occult" intra-abdominal metastases. Laparoscopic ultrasonography improves the accuracy of laparoscopic staging in patients with potentially resectable pancreatic and periampullary carcinomas.     

Diagnostic laparoscopy for periampullary and pancreatic cancer: What is the true benefit?

The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in patients with periampullary and pancreatic malignancies is controversial. A retrospective review was performed including all patients (n = 188) with a periampullary or pancreatic malignancy who underwent both CT and laparotomy at our institution between January 1997 and December 1999. The overall resectability rate for all periampullary cancers was 67.3% (115 of 171 patients). This compared favorably with the resectability rate for cancers of the pancreatic body and tail (3 of 17 patients, 17.6%; P < 0.01 vs. periampullary cancers). Fifty percent of patients with periampullary cancers were unresectable because of metastatic disease, whereas metastatic disease precluded resection in 64.3% of patients with cancers of the pancreatic body and tail. After patients undergoing operative palliation were eliminated, a nontherapeutic laparotomy would have been precluded by the use of diagnostic laparoscopy in only 2.3% of patients with periampullary cancers (4 of 171 patients). In contrast, 6 (35.3%) of 17 patients with cancers of the pancreatic body and tail underwent a nontherapeutic laparotomy (P < 0.01 vs. periampullary cancers). One hundred fifty-eight (84%) of the 188 CT reports reviewed could be definitively categorized as either “likely to be resectable” or “likely to be unresectable.” The remaining 16% were equivocal. Of the 107 patients categorized as likely to be resectable, 89 were actually resected (83.2%). In contrast, only 10 of the 51 patients categorized as likely to be unresectable could be resected (19.6%). Presented at the 2001 Meeting of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, Miami Beach, Fla., Feb. 24, 2001.     

The Role of Laparoscopy and Ultrasonography in Pancreatic Head Carcinoma

Objective: The authors performed a prospective evaluation of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography in predicting surgical resectability in patients with carcinomas of the pancreatic head and periampullary region.Summary Background Data: Pancreatic resection with curative intent is possible in a select minority of patients who have carcinomas of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. Patient selection is important to plan appropriate therapy and avoid unnecessary laparotomy in patients with unresectable disease. Laparoscopic ultrasonography is a novel technique that combines the proven benefits of staging laparoscopy with high resolution intraoperative ultrasound of the liver and pancreas, but which has yet to be evaluated critically in the staging of pancreatic malignancy.Methods: A cohort of 40 consecutive patients referred to a tertiary referral center and with a diagnosis of potentially resectable pancreatic or periampullary cancer underwent staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography. The diagnostic accuracy of staging laparoscopy alone and in conjunction with laparoscopic ultrasonography was evaluated in predicting tumor resectability (absence of peritoneal or liver metastases; absence of malignant regional lymphadenopathy; tumor confined to pancreatic head or periampullary region).Results: “Occult” metastatic lesions were demonstrated by staging laparoscopy in 14 patients (35%). Laparoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated factors confirming unresectable tumor in 23 patients (59%), provided staging information in addition to that of laparoscopy alone in 20 patients (53%), and changed the decision regarding tumor resectability in 10 patients (25%). Staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography was more specific and accurate in predicting tumor resectability than laparoscopy alone (88% and 89% versus 50% and 65%, respectively).Conclusions: Staging laparoscopy is indispensable in the detection of “occult” intraabdominal metastases. Laparoscopic ultrasonography improves the accuracy of laparoscopic staging in patients with potentially resectable pancreatic and periampullary carcinomas.     

Laparoscopy Predicts Metastatic Disease and Spares Laparotomy in Selected Patients With Pancreatic Nonfunctioning Islet Cell Tumors

Introduction: Our objective was to compare the efficacy of CT alone to CT followed by laparoscopy in determining resectability of pancreatic nonfunctioning islet (NFI) cell tumors.Methods: A retrospective analysis from 1993 to 1999 revealed 48 patients who underwent surgical evaluation for NFI cell tumors. Of these, 34 (71%) patients underwent laparoscopy and CT for either diagnostic purposes or tumor staging. CT and laparoscopic criteria for curative resectability were defined and the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of both modalities in determining resectability were calculated.Results: The most frequent tumor location and presenting symptoms were pancreatic head (n = 27, 56%) and abdominal pain (n = 31, 65%), respectively. Median tumor size was 4.0 cm. In the laparoscopy group, curative resection was performed in 20 cases (59%). CT followed by laparoscopy was more sensitive than CT alone in predicting resectability (93% vs. 50%, P = 0.03) with similar specificity (both 100%). The predictive value for tumor resectability was 74% for CT alone and 95% for CT followed by laparoscopy. Reasons for unresectability identified at laparoscopy but not indicated by CT were liver metastases (n = 6) or nodal disease (n = 1). Four of these patients were spared a laparotomy while the other three patients underwent surgical palliation and all are alive with disease (AWD). In those not undergoing laparoscopy (n = 14), curative resection was performed in 64% (n = 9). Four of these patients underwent resection, despite having metastases, and three are AWD.Conclusions: NFI cell tumors of the pancreas present as large masses with frequent metastases. Despite metastatic disease, prolonged survival is often achieved with or without open surgical treatment. Laparoscopy can be used in diagnosis and accurately identifies metastases not seen on CT, thus sparing laparotomy in some patients.     

The value of laparoscopy in the management of ampullary, duodenal, and distal bile duct tumors

Laparoscopy identifies radiologically occult advanced disease in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The value of laparoscopy in the management of peri-ampullary tumors was determined. One hundred forty-four patients with radiologically resectable nonpancreatic adenocarcinoma, periampullary tumors were identified from a prospective database between August 1993 and December 2000. Criteria for laparoscopic unresectability included histologically proved peritoneal or hepatic metastases, distant nodal involvement, arterial involvement, and local extension outside the resection field. Median age at operation was 70 years (range 31 to 87 years) and 56% of the patients were men. An adequate laparoscopy was performed in 134 cases (93%). Laparoscopy identified 13 patients (10%) with unresectable disease. Of 121 patients with laparoscopic resectable disease, 111 (92%) went on to subsequent resection; CT correctly predicted resectability in 82%. Laparoscopy spared 36% of unresectable patients a nontherapeutic laparotomy. Patients with resectable disease were treated by pancreaticoduodenectomy (n = 91, 76%), ampullectomy (n = 12, 10%), duodenal resection (n = 10, 9%), or bile duct excision (n = 6, 5%). The addition of diagnostic laparoscopy to dynamic CT scanning in this selected patient population identifies an additional 10% of patients with unresectable disease. We believe that laparoscopy should be used in a selective manner for preoperative staging of patients suspected of having nonpancreatic periampullary tumors. Presented in part at the Forty-Second Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Atlanta, Georgia, May 20–23, 2001. Supported by the Milton and Bernice Stern Foundation.     

The Role of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Pancreatic and Periampullary Malignancies

Background: The role of diagnostic laparoscopy before laparotomy in patients with pancreatic or periampullary malignancies remains controversial. We analyzed the value of using diagnostic laparoscopy to avoid laparotomy in these patients.

Study Design: Between November 1993 and December 1996, 254 patients with pancreatic or periampullary malignancies were treated. In 74 patients, multiple distant metastases precluded further surgical treatment. In all, 180 patients underwent laparotomy for pancreatic cancer (119 patients) or periampullary cancer (61 patients). Preoperatively, all patients underwent computed tomography for staging and to assess resectability of the tumor. Based on the results of the imaging procedure, the patients were scheduled for either tumor resection or a palliative operation.

Results: Twenty-one of 180 patients (12%) with pancreatic or periampullary malignancies were scheduled preoperatively for nonresectional operations because of distant metastasis or retroperitoneal tumor infiltration. In none of these patients was the operative strategy changed. In 159 of 180 patients (88%), a pancreatic resection was planned preoperatively; 119 patients underwent pancreatic resection. In the remaining 40 patients preoperatively scheduled for tumor resection, removal of the tumor was not possible. In 24, this resulted from tumor infiltration into the retropancreatic vessels, and in 16 it resulted from liver or peritoneal metastasis detected for the first time intraoperatively. These 16 patients (10%) could have benefited from diagnostic laparoscopy. Similar results were found in the subgroup of 119 patients with pancreatic cancer, of whom 102 were planned for tumor resection and 17 for palliative operation. Of the 102 patients planned preoperatively for tumor resection, 71 patients (70%) underwent pancreatic resection. In the remaining 31 patients scheduled for tumor resection, removal of the tumor was not possible: in 17 because of tumor infiltration into the retropancreatic vessels and in 14 because of liver or peritoneal metastasis detected for the first time intraoperatively. These 14 patients (14%) also would have benefited from laparoscopy.

Conclusions: Preoperative computed tomography is a reliable technique to detect tumor metastasis in patients with pancreatic or periampullary cancer. Unlike other investigators, we found that only 10% of patients with periampullary or pancreatic cancer and 14% of patients with pancreatic cancer might profit from laparoscopy. Because of this low number, laparoscopy cannot generally be recommended for patients with pancreatic or periampullary cancer before laparotomy.     

Clinical utility of positron emission tomography in the diagnosis and management of periampullary neoplasms

Background This study examined the effect that 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸FDG-PET) imaging had on the clinical management of patients with suspected periampullary malignancy. Methods Fifty-four patients with suspected pancreatic neoplasms underwent both whole-body¹⁸FDG-PET and abdominal computed tomography (CT). Malignant or benign disease was confirmed pathologically in 47 patients. Results Of the 41 patients with malignancy,¹⁸FDG-PET failed to identify the primary tumor in 5 patients.¹⁸FDG-PET demonstrated increased uptake suggesting primary malignancy in 37 patients. Malignant pathology was confirmed in 36 cases.¹⁸FDG-PET identified malignant locoregional lymph node metastases in six of ten patients. All nodes identified before surgery by¹⁸FDG-PET were also seen on preoperative CT. Six patients who were thought to have resectable disease by CT were found to have distant metastasis at laparotomy.¹⁸FDG-PET did not detect metastasis in any of these cases. Before surgery,¹⁸FDG-PET identified distant metastases that were not detected by CT in one patient. Conclusions Despite high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing periampullary malignancy,¹⁸FDG-PET did not change clinical management in the vast majority of patients previously evaluated by CT. In addition,¹⁸FDG-PET missed>10% of periampullary malignancies and did not provide the anatomical detail necessary to define unresectability.     

Clinical usefulness of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the management of patients with nonpancreatic periampullary neoplasms

BACKGROUND: 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18-FDG PET) has been investigated for the diagnosis and staging of gastrointestinal malignancies including pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical usefulness of 18-FDG PET in the diagnosis and follow-up evaluation of patients with periampullary neoplasms. METHODS: Twenty-five patients underwent whole-body 18-FDG PET and abdominal computed tomography (CT). Pathologic confirmation was obtained in all patients by surgical resection or biopsy examination. The 18-FDG PET was analyzed visually and semiquantitatively using the standard uptake value (SUV). Positivity was assumed when a focal uptake occurred with an SUV of 2.5 or greater. RESULTS: Between January 1998 and December 2003, 14 ampullary, 7 bile duct, and 4 duodenal tumors were included in the study. PET showed increased focal uptake in 22 patients (88%): 11 of 14 (79%) ampullary tumors, and 100% of bile duct and duodenal tumors. PET showed a focal uptake in 11 of 12 patients without detectable mass at CT scan, and lymph node metastases in 6 patients. An SUV value of 2.7 discriminated adenomas or noninvasive cancers (n = 6) from invasive malignancies (n = 14). Follow-up evaluation including CT scan and PET was performed in 12 patients: PET showed recurrent disease not seen by CT in 4 patients, confirmed CT findings in 6 patients, and showed an unsuspected primary lung cancer in 1 patient and colon cancer in another patient. CONCLUSIONS: 18-FDG PET is very sensitive for detecting periampullary neoplasms. It may be useful to differentiate benign or borderline lesions from invasive tumors when no mass has been identified by traditional imaging. Finally, it is very useful in the follow-up evaluation of resected patients to identify recurrent disease or other malignancies.     

腹腔镜超声在胰腺壶腹部肿瘤分期诊断和治疗中的价值

目的 评价腹腔镜超声技术(LapUS)在胰腺和壶腹部癌肿分期诊断和治疗中的临床应用价值。方法 自1996年12月～1999年12月连续对46例怀疑胰腺和壶腹部肿瘤病人进行腹腔镜和腹腔镜超声分期诊断。并与术前影像学检查、手术中发现及术后标本病理学检查进行前瞻对比研究。着重检查肿瘤范围、周围血管侵犯、周围淋巴结转移、浆膜浸润和肝、邻近脏器转移;对可疑病变和肿大的淋巴结进行腹腔镜超声引导下穿刺活检。判断肿瘤切除性。结果 46例病人中。LapUS发现肿块性病灶44例,2例阻塞性黄疸确诊为壶腹部结石嵌顿排除肿瘤。44例肿块性病变中41例为恶性肿瘤,3例为炎性病变,肿瘤诊断正确率为93．2％。本组未发生腹腔镜和腹腔镜超声检查有关并发症。结论腹腔镜和腹腔镜超声检查应列为重要的分期诊断工具,剖腹探查前常规应用可明显提高诊断正确率、完善肿瘤分期诊断和可切除性判断。可避免不必要的剖腹探查术。在微创外科诊治中具有重要的临床应用价值。     

Laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasound in the evaluation of pancreatic and periampullary tumours

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The pre-operative determination of resectability of pancreatic and peri-ampullary neoplasia assists the selection of patients for surgical or non-surgical treatment. This study investigated whether the addition of laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound to dual-phase helical CT could improve the accuracy of assessment of resectability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective study of 305 patients referred to a single unit for consideration of pancreatic resection who underwent dual-phase helical CT scanning +/- laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound. Data were collected on patient demographics, CT findings, assessment of operability, laparoscopic assessment (LA), surgical procedures and histology. RESULTS: LA was undertaken in 239/305 patients, 190 of whom were considered CT resectable, and 49 CT unresectable. Of the 190 CT resectable patients, LA correctly identified unresectability in 28 (15%: metastases in 15; vascular encasement in 6; anaesthesia for laparoscopy found 7 unfit for major resection) and incorrectly in 2 (vascular encasement), but did not identify unresectability in 33; LA correctly confirmed resectability in the remainder (prediction improved, chi(2) = 9.73, p < 0.01). Of the 49 CT unresectable patients, LA correctly identified resectability in 4, and incorrectly in 12, and correctly identified unresectability in the remaining 33. Sixty-six of the 305 patients did not undergo LA, of whom 23 underwent resection. Conclusion: When added to dual-phase helical CT, laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound provides valuable information that significantly improves the selection of patients for surgical or non-surgical treatment.     

Needle biopsy for suspicious lesions of the head of the pancreas: Pitfalls and implications for therapy

Controversy continues to exist concerning the optimal diagnostic approach to a pancreatic head lesion suspected of being a neoplasm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of needle biopsy in suspicious pancreatic head neoplasia and its effect on therapy and outcome. Seventy-three patients with symptoms or signs of periampullary neoplasia and a pancreatic head lesion identified on CT scan were reviewed retrospectively. Forty patients with potentially resectable lesions underwent intraoperative transduodenal core needle biopsy of the head of the pancreas. Thirty-three patients underwent CT-guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration. The sensitivity and specificity of core needle biopsy were 76% and 100%, respectively. One death was directly related to the procedure and therapy was adversely affected in one patient with a false negative result. The sensitivity and specificity of percutaneous fine-needle aspiration were 85% and 92%, respectively, and were not significantly different from the core needle biopsy results (P>0.3). Three false negative fine-needle aspiration biopsies occurred in patients with potentially resectable lesions and a low clinical suspicion for malignancy. In patients with a mass in the head of the pancreas on CT scan, fine-needle aspiration biopsy offers results similar to those of intraoperative transduodenal core needle biopsy. In patients estimated to have resectable disease, a pancreaticoduodenectomy should be performed without a biopsy. For patients with unresectable disease, cytologic examination of fine-needle aspirate should be performed. If this examination is positive, it offers the advantage of facilitating the construction of a rational plan for palliation.     

Staging laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography in more than 400 patients with upper gastrointestinal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Resection offers the only chance of cure to patients with esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and hepatopancreatobiliary tumors. Staging is essential to select patients who will benefit from operation because palliation can also be performed nonoperatively. Several studies, including limited numbers of patients, have shown that laparoscopic staging prevents unnecessary laparotomies, but it is doubtful whether general application of this staging method can be advised. The aim of this study was to assess the benefit of diagnostic laparoscopy for staging patients with esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and hepatopancreatobiliary tumors. STUDY DESIGN: Between June 1992 and December 1996, 420 patients with a resectable tumor after conventional staging underwent diagnostic laparoscopy combined with laparoscopic ultrasonography. Histologic proof of metastases or ingrowth was used to cancel laparotomy. RESULTS: Laparoscopic staging avoided laparotomy in 20% of patients (sensitivity 0.70): 5% with an esophageal tumor, 20% with a gastroesophageal junction tumor, 15% with a periampullary tumor, 40% with a proximal bile duct tumor, 35% with a liver tumor, and 40% with a pancreatic body or tail tumor. Complications and port-site metastases were seen in 4% and 2% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic staging is a safe procedure with low morbidity and without mortality in this series. It has shown no benefit in esophageal cancer, but seems beneficial for staging tumors located at the gastroesophageal junction, proximal bile duct tumors, liver tumors, and pancreatic body and tail tumors. The value of laparoscopic staging for patients with periampullary tumors is not as great as stated in previous studies and is still the subject of investigation.     

Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery

BACKGROUND: Potential applications for laparoscopic surgery in pancreatic disease include (1) staging of pancreatic malignancies; (2) palliation of pancreatic malignancies; (3) pancreatic resections for benign and malignant disease; and (4) pancreatic drainage procedures. METHODS: A review of the literature is presented. In addition, original data on a series of 5 laparoscopic pancreatic distal resections and 10 laparoscopic cystogastrostomies are presented. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy may have a role in the staging of patients with pancreatic malignancies; however, with high-quality preoperative imaging, the percentage of patients who will benefit from laparoscopy may be as low as 5%. For palliation, both cholecystoenterostomy and choledochoenterostomy can be performed laparoscopically. The former is technically straightforward but has a higher failure rate; the latter is technically difficult and currently not suitable for widespread adoption. Laparoscopic gastroenterostomy is a straightforward means of palliating gastrointestinal obstruction. Patients appear to benefit from laparoscopic distal pancreatic resection but not from laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Patients appear to benefit from laparoscopic pseudocyst decompression.     

腹腔镜在胰腺肿瘤诊断和分期中的价值

目的:总结胰腺肿瘤剖腹手术前先行腹腔镜探查的价值。方法:对12例经B超和CT诊断或怀疑为胰腺肿瘤的病人,在剖腹手术前先行腹腔镜探查,其中2例联合使用腹腔镜超声检查(LUS)。结果:1例CT诊断疑为胰头肿瘤伴少量腹水者,腹腔镜明确为原发性腹膜炎,作冲洗引流而愈。2例影像学检查见胰体尾增厚,怀疑胰腺肿瘤者,腹腔镜检查未见明显异常,再作LUS检查,1例为胰腺囊肿,另1例未见异常。9例腹腔镜检查确诊为胰腺恶性肿瘤病人中,3例明确已有远处转移,从而避免了开腹;另6例腹腔镜探查提示可以切除,结果其中1例由于肠系膜血管被肿瘤包绕而无法切除,余5例(5/9=55.6%)进行了根治性切除。腹腔镜探查在评估胰腺癌不可切除性的敏感性为75%,特异性为100%,阳性预测值为100%,阴性预测值为83.3%。结论:腹腔镜探查可发现影像学检查不能发现的腹膜转移,结合腹腔镜超声检查可提高胰腺肿瘤诊断、分期的准确性,使部分病人避免了不必要的剖腹手术。     

Laparoscopic staging and subsequent palliation in patients with peripancreatic carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that laparoscopic staging improves outcome in patients with peripancreatic carcinoma compared to standard radiology staging. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Diagnostic laparoscopy of peripancreatic malignancies has been reported to improve assessment of tumor stage and to prevent unnecessary exploratory laparotomies in 10% to 76% of patients. METHODS: Laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasound were performed in 297 consecutive patients with peripancreatic carcinoma scheduled for surgery after radiologic staging. Patients with pathology-proven unresectable tumors were randomly allocated to either surgical or endoscopic palliation. All others underwent laparotomy. RESULTS: Laparoscopic staging detected biopsy-proven unresectable disease in 39 patients (13%). At laparotomy, unresectable disease was found in another 72 patients, leading to a detection rate for laparoscopic staging of 35%. In total, 145 of the 197 patients classified as having "possibly resectable" disease after laparoscopic staging underwent resection (74%). Average survival in the group of 14 patients with biopsy-proven unresectable tumors randomly allocated to endoscopic palliation was 116 days, with a mean hospital-free survival of 94 days. The corresponding figures were 192 days and 164 days in the 13 patients allocated to surgical palliation. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the limited detection rate for unresectable metastatic disease and the likely absence of a large gain after switching from surgical to endoscopic palliation, laparoscopic staging should not be performed routinely in patients with peripancreatic carcinoma.     

Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery

In the past, in the pancreas, a minimally invasive technique was only used for diagnostic laparoscopy in evaluating periampullary malignancy. Recent advances in operative techniques and instrumentation have empowered surgeons to perform virtually all procedures in the pancreas, including the Whipple procedure. Some of these procedures represent the most sophisticated application of minimally invasive surgery, and their outcomes are reportedly better than those of conventional open approaches. In addition to the evaluation of resectability in periampullary malignancy, palliative procedures, including biliary bypasses and gastrojejunostomy, can be performed laparoscopically. Although it is reportedly feasible to perform a Whipple procedure laparescopically, no benefit of the laparoscopic approach over the conventional open approach has been documented. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy, with or without preserving the spleen, is technically easier than the Whipple procedure, and is more widely accepted. Indications for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy include cystic neoplasms and islet-cell tumors located in the pancreatic body or tail. Complications of acute and chronic pancreatitis may be treated with the use of surgical laparoscopy. When infected necrotizing pancreatitis is identified, surgical intervention for drainage and debridement is required. According to the type and location of infected necrotizing pancreatitis, three laparoscopic operative approaches have been reported: infracolic debridement, retroperitoneal debridement, and laparoscopic transgastric pancreatic necrosectomy. When internal drainage is indicated for a pseudocyst, a minimally invasive technique is a promising option. Laparoscopic pseudocyst gastrostomy, cyst jejunostomy, or cyst duodenostomy can be performed, depending on the size and location of the pseudocyst. Especially when a pseudocyst is located in close contact with the posterior wall of the stomach, it is best drained by a pseudocyst gastrostomy, which can also be done with the use of an intragastric operative technique.     

Staging of pancreatic and ampullary cancers for resectability using laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound

Background: Cancers of the pancreas and periampullary region are rarely curable. We set out to determine the efficacy of laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound in the staging of pancreatic and ampullary malignancies for resectability. Methods: Between January 1994 and September 1999, we retrospectively reviewed the laparoscopic staging (LS) of tumors already deemed resectable by standard radiologic criteria in 27 patients using laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS). Patients found to be resectable by LS evaluation underwent laparotomy (LA). We then compared the results of the LS and LA findings. Results: Of the 27 patients evaluated, 17 were men and 10 were women. Their mean age was 66 years. Preoperative computerized tomography (CT) scans were done in all 27 patients (100%), and transabdominal and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was done in 21 (78%). By LS, seven patients (26%) were found to have unresectable disease. Two patients with mesenteric tumor infiltration (one with peritoneal implants, and one with a visible liver metastasis) were judged to be unresectable by laparoscopy alone. LUS revealed that one patient had portal vein (PV) occlusion and two had metastases to the lymph nodes or liver that were not revealed by preoperative studies or laparoscopy alone. Among 20 patients (74%) deemed resectable by LS, two (10%) were found to be unresectable at LA, one due to PV involvement and the other due to local tumor extension with superior mesenteric lymph node metastasis. Eighteen of those in whom resection was attempted (90%) were resectable, with no unexpected findings of distant lymph node or hepatic metastasis. Pathology examination showed that eight had regional metastases (44%). The sensitivity of LS in determining unresectability was 77% (seven true positives and two false negatives). The negative predictive value (reflecting resectability) was 90%. Laparoscopy alone had a sensitivity of 44%, with a negative predictive value of 78%. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of LS was 100%, reflecting no false positive examinations. Conclusions: LS can effectively stage most patients and reliably predict which of them will benefit from LA. Intervention for unresectable patients can then be limited to laparoscopic or endoscopic bypass. The main limitation is that LS may underestimate PV and regional lymph node involvement.     

The role of laparoscopy in the preoperative staging of pancreatic carcinoma

Between January 1990 and December 1995, a total of 398 patients underwent laparotomy for pancreatic or periampullary carcinoma at the Surgical Clinic of Mannheim. The tumor was located in the pancreatic head in 290 patients (72.9%), in the body of the pancreas in 42 patients (10.6%), and in the pancreatic tail in 19 patients (4.7%). Forty-seven patients (11.8%) presented with periampullary carcinoma. The preoperative diagnostic workup included abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and angiography. One hundred seventy-two patients (43.2%) underwent a tumor resection, 150 (37.7%) had a palliative bypass operation, and 76 (19.1%) underwent only an exploratory laparotomy. Preoperative diagnosis had predicted unresectability in 66 (87%) of the patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy. In 76 patients the intraoperative findings showed an unresectable tumor, which was located in the head of the pancreas in 54 cases (71%), in the body of the pancreas in 17 (22.4%), in the tail region in four (5.3%), and in the periampullary region in one (1.3%). Local signs of unresectability were found in 47 patients (62%) and peritoneal or hepatic metastases in 29 (28.2%). Given that local inoperability can be reliably assessed only at laparotomy, this leaves just 29 (7%) of 398 patients who did not require palliation and whose signs of unresectability could possibly have been discovered by means of the laparoscopic approach. Laparoscopy (including laparoscopic ultrasound) should be used selectively in patients considered probably unresectable who do not require a palliative procedure immediately before the planned operation.     

Current status of laparoscopic surgery of the pancreas

Laparoscopic surgery of the pancreas remains, other than for certain clear indications, primarily investigational. However, in the past few years, laparoscopic therapy for pancreatic diseases has made significant strides and will undoubtedly contribute increasingly to the care of the surgical patient with pancreatic disease. This review discusses the current status of minimally invasive surgical therapy of pancreatic diseases and reviews the current literature. There are four major areas of clinical and laboratory investigation, including diagnostic laparoscopy for staging of pancreatic cancer, laparoscopic palliation of unresectable pancreatic cancer, laparoscopic management of pancreatic pseudocyst, and laparoscopic partial pancreatectomy (pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, and enucleation for islet cell tumors). The increased sensitivity of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound as a staging modality in the diagnosis of previously unrecognized metastatic disease from pancreatic cancer is clearly the most utilitarian application of laparoscopic technology in this patient population. Additionally, a natural extension of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound is the ability to improve the quality of life for the patient with unresectable pancreatic cancer by palliating the biliary and gastrointestinal obstruction and the debilitating pain, without the need for and morbidity of open laparotomy. Laparoscopic internal drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts remains early in its development but appears to have potential benefit from application of minimal access techniques. And laparoscopic partial pancreatectomy, both pancreaticoduodenectomy, and, to a lesser degree, distal pancreatectomy, remain primarily investigational without clearly established benefits from the use of minimal access techniques. Received for publication on Sep. 10, 1998; accepted on Sep. 18, 1998     

Palliative therapy for pancreatic/biliary cancer

Palliative treatment for unresectable periampullary cancer is directed at three major symptoms: obstructive jaundice, duodenal obstruction, and cancer-related pain. In most cases, the pattern of symptoms at the time of diagnosis in the context of the patient's medical condition and projected survival influence the decision to perform an operative versus a non operative palliative procedure. Despite improvements in preoperative imaging and laparoscopic staging of patients with periampullary cancer and hilar cholangiocarcinoma, surgical exploration is the only modality that can definitively rule out resectability and the potential for curative resection in some patients with nonmetastatic cancer. Furthermore, only surgical management achieves successful palliation of obstructive symptoms and cancer-related pain as a single procedure during exploration. To take advantage of the long-term advantages afforded by surgical palliation,operative procedures must be performed with acceptable morbidity. The average postoperative length of hospital stay for patients who undergo surgical palliation is less than 15 days, even in those who develop minor complications. The average survival of patients who receive surgical palliation alone for nonmetastatic, unresectable pancreatic cancer is approximately 8 months. As with all treatment planning, palliative therapy for pancreatic and biliary cancer should be planned using a multidisciplinary approach, including input from the surgeon, gastroenterologist, radiologist,and medical and radiation oncologist. In this way, quality of life can be optimized in most patients with these diseases.