Which Pancreaticojejunostomy after Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy? A Spectrum of Technical Variants Based on the Size of the Wirsung Duct

Damiano Caputo, MD, FACS; Chiara Cascone, MD; Mariacristina Cartillone, MD; Vincenzo La Vaccara, MD, PhD; Lorenza Caggiati, MD; Tommaso Farolfi, MD; Alessandro Coppola, MD, PhD; Roberto Coppola, MD, FACS

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-5984
Year Produced: 2019
Length: 9 min.


Different pancreaticojejunostomies have been proposed to reduce post-operative pancreatic fistula. Here, three technical variants of pancreaticojejunostomy after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy are showed. In the first case, the pancreatic duct was not detectable and an end-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy was performed. Interrupted 2-0 silk stitches were passed through the posterior wall of the pancreas and of the jejunum. An enterotomy was then performed to drain the whole pancreatic stump and the anterior layer of the anastomosis between the seromuscolar layer of the jejunum and the pancreas was completed with interrupted 2-0 silk stitches. In the second case, an end-to-side duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy with internal stent was performed. The posterior layer of the anastomosis was performed as above; to protect the pancreatic duct during the placement of the stitches, a stent was inserted in the duct. A small enterotomy was performed and four duct-to-mucosa 5-0 absorbable stitches were placed at cardinal points. The anterior layer of the anastomosis between the jejunum and the pancreas was then completed as above. In the third case, an end-to-side duct-to-mucosa anastomosis without stent placement was performed because of the huge diameter of the duct. The posterior layer was performed with interrupted 2-0 silk stitches, then four 5-0 absorbable stitches were passed through the posterior wall of the Wirsung and the jejunum. The enterotomy was made and the anterior layer of the duct-to-mucosa anastomosis was completed with four 5-0 absorbable stitches. The anterior layer was performed in interrupted 2-0 silk sutures and the anastomosis completed.