Abstract: Objective:To investigate the clinical application value of pancreatoduodenectomy combined with vascular resection and reconstruction for pancreatic head carcinoma.
Methods:The clinical data of a patient with pancreatic head carcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy combined with vascular resection and reconstruction at the Southwest Hospital in March 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative imaging examination showed no gap between vascular wall of portal vein (PV) and pancreatic head spaceoccupying lesion,  vascular compression and stenosis at intersection of PV, splenic vein (SV) and superior mesenteric vein (SMV), but not excluding adjacent main PV invasion. During the operation, it was difficult to separate pancreatic head carcinoma from PV, indicating vascular wall invasion at intersection of PV, SV and SMV. Therefore, the pancreatic head, bile ducts, duodenum, partial jejunum, invasive vein vessels, lymphatic and nerve tissues were radically resected, then PV, SMV and SV were reconstructed. The patient was followed up by outpatient examination and telephone interview after surgery till April 2015.
Results:The patient underwent pancreatoduodenectomy combined with vascular resection and reconstruction successfully without blood transfusion. The operation time was 285 minutes and volume of intraoperative blood loss was 300 mL. The patient had a smooth postoperative recovery, resuming diet at postoperative day 5. The abdominal drainage tube and stitches were removed at postoperative day 6 and day 12, and the patient was discharged from hospital at postoperative day 15. Computed tomography reexa mination showed clear vascular anastomose. The patient was not complicated with pancreatic fistula, biliary fistula, intraabdominal hemorrhage and vascular embolism. The postoperative pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatic head moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma accompanied by PV invasion and lymph node metastasis, with a negative margin. The patient began a course of single drug common chemotherapy using gemcitabine at postoperative day 40. No cancer recurrence was detected during the oneyear followup.
Conclusion Pancreatoduodenectomy combined with vascular resection and reconstruction is safe and feasible for the treatment of pancreatic head carcinoma with good surgical effects.