<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> According to the volume-outcome concept the postoperative outcome after major pancreatic surgery in high-volume institutions compares favorably to low- volume centers. However, it is not clear whether this is applicable to all low-volume institutions nowadays. The aim of the study was to evaluate the postoperative outcome after major elective pancreatic surgery in a low- volume academic surgical clinic. All consecutive elective major pancreatic cases operated within a 10-year period till October 2013 have been retrospectively reviewed. During the studied period, 36 patients (15 females, 21 males, mean age 54 years, age range 37-76) were scheduled for elective pancreatic surgery and underwent pancreatic resection (n=31, 18 proximal and 13 distal pancreatic resections) or complete pancreatic duct drainage procedure (n=5). Eleven patients had chronic pancreatitis and 25 patients had malignant or benign tumors. Vascular or adjacent organ resection was performed in 9 patients (29% of resections). The overall postoperative morbidity was 36% (n=13), and complications requiring re-operation occurred in 5 patients (14%). The median postoperative hospital stay was 11 days for patients without complications vs. 25 days for patients with any complication. There was no 60- day postoperative mortality or hospital readmission. Major elective pancreatic surgery can be safely performed today in a low-volume academic general surgical clinic, with postoperative outcomes similar to those reported by high-volume centers. </p></abstract>

According to the volume-outcome concept the postoperative outcome after major pancreatic surgery in high-volume institutions compares favorably to low- volume centers. However, it is not clear whether this is applicable to all low-volume institutions nowadays. The aim of the study was to evaluate the postoperative outcome after major elective pancreatic surgery in a low- volume academic surgical clinic. All consecutive elective major pancreatic cases operated within a 10-year period till October 2013 have been retrospectively reviewed. During the studied period, 36 patients (15 females, 21 males, mean age 54 years, age range 37-76) were scheduled for elective pancreatic surgery and underwent pancreatic resection (n=31, 18 proximal and 13 distal pancreatic resections) or complete pancreatic duct drainage procedure (n=5). Eleven patients had chronic pancreatitis and 25 patients had malignant or benign tumors. Vascular or adjacent organ resection was performed in 9 patients (29% of resections). The overall postoperative morbidity was 36% (n=13), and complications requiring re-operation occurred in 5 patients (14%). The median postoperative hospital stay was 11 days for patients without complications vs. 25 days for patients with any complication. There was no 60- day postoperative mortality or hospital readmission. Major elective pancreatic surgery can be safely performed today in a low-volume academic general surgical clinic, with postoperative outcomes similar to those reported by high-volume centers.

Postoperative Outcomes of Elective Pancreatic Surgery in a Low-Volume Academic Surgical Clinic

Department of Surgery, Trakia University Hospital, 6000 Stara Zagora,

Department of Surgery, Trakia University Hospital, Stara Zagora,

Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

According to the volume-outcome concept the postoperative outcome after major pancreatic surgery in high-volume institutions compares favorably to low- volume...

Postoperative Outcomes of Elective Pancreatic Surgery in a Low-Volume Academic Surgical Clinic

Published Online: Nov 30, 2016

Page range: 106 - 111

Received: Dec 06, 2013

Accepted: Dec 27, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcr-2015-0110

Keywords
pancreatic resection, volume, complications, distal pancreatectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy

© 2016

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Postoperative Outcomes of Elective Pancreatic Surgery in a Low-Volume Academic Surgical Clinic

Published Online: Nov 30, 2016

Page range: 106 - 111

Received: Dec 06, 2013

Accepted: Dec 27, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcr-2015-0110

Keywordspancreatic resection, volume, compli­cations, distal pancreatectomy, pancreati­coduodenectomy

© 2016

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
pancreatic resection, volume, complications, distal pancreatectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy