Laparoscopic Enucleation of Uncinate Process Insulinoma with Duodenal Transection

Don J. Selzer, MD; Michel Gagner, MD, FACS

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-2291
Year Produced: 2003


Endoscopic sphincterotomy is a safe and effective means of treating distal bile duct stenosis or sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. For this reason transduodenal sphincterotomy and/or sphincteroplasty is rarely performed. However, when endoscopic sphincterotomy fails or is unable to be performed, minimally invasive surgical techniques are desirable. The most technically demanding aspect of a minimally invasive approach is the performance of the sphincteroplasty. In this video we present the utility of robotic assisted laparoscopic sphincteroplasty for this difficult procedure. A 47 year old female suffered from biliary cholic after laparoscopic cholecystectomy at an outside institution for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Her only medication was Prevacid. MRCP showed distal biliary stricture at the ampulla and a mildly dilated proximal common bile duct. An ERCP and sphincterotomy was performed and the patient remained asymptomatic for two months. Her pain recurred, and an additional ERCP was performed. Common bile duct pressures were measured and were normal. The pancreatic duct was visualized and seen to be normal. At this time a 5 cm 10 french biliary stent was placed. The patient again became asymptomatic; however her pain recurred two months later. After the second recurrence a 3rd. ERCP showed that the stent was obstructed, and was removed at that time. At this time we were consulted and rendered the opinion that the patient was suffering from a biliary dyskinesia post cholecystectomy syndrome. A sphincteroplasty was proposed for what was interpreted to be an incomplete sphincterotomy and the patient was consented for a robotic-assisted transduodenal sphincteroplasty. The operation was performed without difficulty and the patient discharged home asymptomatic on postoperative day number 5. Robotic assistance affords many technological advantages for performing laparoscopic transduodenal sphincteroplasty. Foremost is the ability to obtain precise tissue manipulation (cutting and suturing) through a small (3 cm) duodenotomy owing to the seven degrees of freedom incorporated into the system's wrist. The system also allows for an excellent magnified, three dimensional view of the operative field. Collectively, these attributes greatly simply the technical challenges of performing sphincteroplasty by a laparoscopic route.