Complications and follow-up after pancreas-preserving total duodenectomy for duodenal polyps.

Background: Patients with duodenal polyps are at risk of duodenal cancer. Pancreas-preserving total duodenectomy (PPTD) is an alternative to partial pancreatoduodenectomy.

Methods: Twelve patients (seven men and five women) with a median age of 59 (interquartile range (i.q.r.) 50-67) years underwent PPTD for large (over 20 mm) solitary polyps or multiple (more than three) duodenal polyps confined to the muscularis propria on endoscopic ultrasonography.

Results: Median hospital stay was 21 (i.q.r. 10-36) days with no deaths and no blood transfusion. Six patients developed postoperative complications, one requiring reoperation. Histology demonstrated gastrointestinal stromal tumour in three patients, low-grade dysplasia in one, moderate-grade dysplasia in eight and duodenal intramucosal adenocarcinoma in one. During a median follow-up of 20 (i.q.r. 8-41) months one patient experienced recurrent acute pancreatitis (due to hypertriglyceridaemia) and one developed a jejunal adenocarcinoma in the neoduodenum.

Conclusion: The morbidity of PPTD is similar to that of partial pancreatoduodenectomy, but PPTD preserves the whole pancreas and reduces the number of anastomoses.