The early and late results of distal pacreatic resection

Objective. To study up the early and late results of distal pancreatic resection with the aim to improve diagnosis and surgical treatment of the distal pancreatic segment disease. Маterials and methods. Resectional interventions on distal pancreatic segment were performed in 19 patients in Department of General Surgery of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital in 2013 - 2017 yrs. In 12 (63.2%) patients the complicated forms of chronic pancreatitis (CHP) were diagnosed, and in 7 (36.8%) – pancreatic neoplasia. For diagnosis of pathological changes in corpora-caudal pancreatic segment there were applied laboratory investigations, ultrasound investigation, computed tomography, magnet-resonance tomography, pathohistological investigation of operational material. Results. In CHP a DR, using anterior operative access, was performed in 7 patients, and using a posterior one - in 5. For pancreatic neoplasia a standard DR was done in 3 patients, a radical one – in 1, radical antegrade module (RAMPS) - 2, and applying a laparoscopic operative access – in 1 woman-patient. Postoperative complications have occurred in 6 (31.6%) patients. Late results were followed-up in 13 (68.4%) patients in 6 mo – 5 yrs terms: after DR for CHP – in 9, after DR for tumors – in 4. Good late results were obtained in 7 (77.7%) patients after DR for CHP and in 2 (50.0%) – for tumors, satisfactory results – in 2 (22.3%) and in 1 (25.0%) patients, accordingly, and poor result - in 1 (25.0%) after pancreatic DR, performed for malignant tumor. Conclusion. Complex diagnosis of the distal pancreatic segment diseases with obligatory application of computed tomography gives possibility to establish strict indications for operation and to select a mostly adequate method of surgical intervention individually. Laparoscopic pancreatic DR constitutes a perspective method of surgical treatment in patients with CHP and locally-spread pancreatic neoplasia, it has good and fair early and late results. Resectional interventions on distal pancreatic segment leads to the diabetes mellitus occurrence in 16.6% of the patients.

The pursuit of normal reference values of pancreas stiffness by using Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) elastography.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate pancreatic stiffness by ARFI abdominal elastography. In the current literature, there are relatively few studies that have assessed the clinical utility of this technique. Material and method: A number of 37 healthy subjects were included. The data were collected in a prospective manner and afterwards included in an observational, analytical and longitudinal study. Subsequently viewing the pancreatic parenchyma in bidimensional mode (2D-US) mode, 10 shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements for each segment: head, body and tail were performed. Statistical analysis by regression models targeted also the possible influence of other factors in assessing SWV. A comparative analysis was performed regarding the statistical significance of 5 versus 10 SWV measurements for each segment. Results: The pancreas was entirely evaluated in all subjects. The mean SWV from the entire parenchyma was 1.216 m/s±0.36 and between the three segments SWV were similar (head: 1.224 m/s, body: 1.227 m/s and tail: 1.191 m/s). A ratio of the IQR/Median >0.4 was interpreted as statistically invalid, relevant data being highlighted in the percentage of 83.78% for the head of the pancreas, 78.37% for the body, and 67.56% at the caudal level. Significant correlations were observed between the data (mean and median SWV) provided by the group with 5 measurements of the SWV versus the standard group: 93.9% for the head, 96.6% for the body, and 98.7% accordingly to the tail. Conclusions: SWV determination by percutaneous approach represents a useful imaging method for evaluating pancreatic stiffness, of course within these limitations. Because we did not observe statistically significant differences between the results obtained by 5 or 10 measurements, we suggest that it would be sufficient to perform only five measurements of the SWV per pancreatic segment. The data obtained in the normal pancreas could be used in future comparative assessments regarding the inflammatory or tumoral pathology of the pancreas.