Emergency celiac revascularization for supramesocolic ischemia during pancreaticoduodenectomy: report of a case.

Occlusive atherosclerotic disease of the celiac artery may be diagnosed late during pancreatic resection, inducing a sudden ischemic threat to the liver, stomach, pancreas, and new anastomoses. Failure to identify and correct the insufficient supramesocolic flow can result in serious morbidity. We report the case of a 64-year-old man in whom sudden and unexpected visceral ischemia occurred while Whipple's procedure was being performed to resect a cephalopancreatic mass. We diagnosed occlusion of the celiac trunk and achieved celiac revascularization by performing an end-to-side transposition of the celiac artery onto the superior mesenteric artery, which had been dissected during the lymphadenectomy. We describe this technique as an alternative treatment for acute supramesocolic ischemia caused by celiac axis occlusion. It is important that surgeons performing pancreatic surgery are aware of the possibility of this complication because the test occlusion of the gastroduodenal artery, which must always precede its ligation, can be negative.