Modified One-layer Duct-to-mucosa Pancreaticojejunostomy Reduces Pancreatic Fistula After Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a major source of morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The purpose of this retrospective study comparing one-layer pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) with two-layer PJ after PD was to evaluate whether the one-layer duct-to-mucosa PJ after PD can reduce the incidence of POPF.A total of 194 consecutive patients who underwent PD by one surgeon (Y. Miao) from January 2011 to February 2014 were included in this study. Among those patients, 104 underwent one-layer PJ (one-layer group) and 90 patients underwent two-layer PJ (two-layer group), respectively. Preoperative clinicopathologic features, intraoperative parameters, postoperative morbidity with focus on POPF, were compared between the two groups.The overall incidence of POPF was 19.6% (38/194), and clinically relevant grade B/C POPF rates were 8.6% (16/194) and 3.1% (6/194), respectively. There were no differences in patients' demographics and operation related factors between the two groups. However, the incidence of POPF in the one-layer group was significantly lower than in two-layer group (13.5% [14/104 patients] and 26.7% [24/90 patients] respectively; p=0.021). The median postoperative hospital stay was also significantly lower in the one-layer group compared to the two-layer group (13 days vs. 15 days, p=0.035). One patient in two-layer group died due to postoperative hemorrhage.One-layer duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy is a simple and easy technique for pancreaticojejunal anastomosis after PD, and can reduce the POPF rate in comparison to the two-layer technique.