Abstract: To investigate the efficacy of a modified duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
Methods:The clinical data of 109 patients with chronic pancreatitis who received modified DPPHR at the Union Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2004 to June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 109 patients, 66 were with mass in the head of the pancreas, 29 were with calcification of the head of the pancreas, 14 were with atrophy of the head of the pancreas and stones in the main pancreatic duct. The level of glucose of 56 patients were normal, 34 patients had glucose tolerance abnormalities and 19 were complicated with diabetes mellitus. Modified DPPHR was carried out after confirming the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and excluding the malignancies by frozen pathological examination. The head of the pancreas was completely resected. The posterior pancreaticoduodenal aortic arch running parallel to the duodenum was preserved to guarantee the blood supply to the remaining duodenum. A thin sheet of the pancreatic tissue behind the intrapancreatic common bile duct and between the common bile duct and the duodenum was preserved to guarantee the blood supply to the common bile duct. The gastrointestinal tract was reconstructed with an anastomosis of the distal pancreas and the jejunum and an end-to-en anastomosis of the proximal jejunum and the distal jejunum. Patients were followed up via out-patient examination to learn the frequency of abdominal pain, analgesics usage and the endocrine function. The pain scale, life quality and endocrine function were evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GLQI) questionnaire, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), respectively. Patients were followed up till January 2014. The measurement data and the count data were analyzed using the t test and the chi-square test, respectively.
Results No patients died during the operation. The operation time, volume of blood loss and blood transfusion were (3.5±0.7) hours, (360±125) mL and (260±220) mL, respectively. After the operation, 5 patients were complicated with pancreatic leakage, 5 with bile leakage, 2 with duodenal fistula and 1 with peritoneal bleeding, and all the patients were cured after conservative treatment. Four patients were complicated with abdominal abscess, 1 patient of whom was treated by conservative treatment, and the remaining 3 patients were cured by drainage guided by B sonography. The duration of hospital stay was 13.8 days (range, 10.0-24.0 months). A total of 102 patients were followed up for more than 9 months. At postoperative month 9, the ratio of patients with abdominal pain was decreased from 78.90%(86/109) to 18.63%(19/102), and the ratio of patients administered analgesics was decreased from 76.47%(78/102) to 12.75%(13/102), with significant difference between the indexes before and after operation (χ²=76.57, 74.31, P< 0.05). The score of the EORTC QLQ-C30 was decreased from 58±36 before operation to 15±4 after operation, with significant difference (t=11.39, P<0.05). The score of GLQI was increased from 69±8 before operation to 87±15 after operation, with significant difference (t=20.05, P<0.05). The patient with diabetes mellitus was cured, and no newly onset of diabetes was found. Two patients received reoperation because of recurrence of stones in the distal pancreatic duct and pancreatogenic portal hypertension.
Conclusion:Modified DPPHR is effective for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis with low incidence of postoperative complications.