Options of restorative pancreaticoenteric anastomosis following pancreaticoduodenectomy: a review

Abstract

Pancreatic fistula (PF), haemorrhage and delayed gastric emptying are some of the common causes of morbidity and PF is the single most important cause of mortality following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Authors, who claim to have reduced leak rates, recommend modifications of the standard technique of pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) that are often complex and difficult to standardize for wider applications. Most individual studies, multicenter retrospective analysis and certain prospective studies report a lower leak rate with pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) when compared with PJ. However, the only three randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) to date have failed to demonstrate the superiority of either technique. Here we discuss the various aspects of pancreaticoenteric anastomosis following pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPD) and the standard pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).