A comparison of long‐term outcomes of portal versus systemic venous drainage in pancreatic transplantation: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Pancreas transplantation venous effluent can be drained via the portal vein or the systemic circulation; however, no recommendation exists for the ideal technique. A systematic review of the literature from 1989 through 2014 using PubMed, CINHAL, and Cochrane Library for portal versus systemic venous drainage was undertaken. Only studies on humans and published in English were considered. Measures of glycemic control and total cholesterol were synthesized for meta‐analysis utilizing random‐effects models. Of 166 articles retrieved, 15 articles were included for meta‐analysis. Patient and graft survival were comparable in a large database study as well as in the only randomized control study. No differences in complications were seen when exocrine drainage was enteric for the systemic venous group. Fasting insulin (?34.13 pmol/mL, p < 0.001) was significantly lower within the portal drained group; however, fasting blood glucose levels (?3.4 mg/dL, p = 0.32) and hemoglobin A1C levels (mean difference 0.124%, p = 0.25) were comparable. Total cholesterol levels (?3.62 mg/dL, p = 0.447), as well as other measures of lipids, showed no difference. Based on this systematic review and meta‐analysis, there is no evidence of differences in outcomes or metabolic control in patients undergoing pancreatic transplant with portal venous drainage compared to the systemic venous drainage.