Mihnea P Dragomir1,2,3, Alexandru A Sabo4, George E D Petrescu1, Yongfeng Li5, Traian Dumitrascu6,7. 1. Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. 2. Department of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Division of Surgical Oncology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 258 Fundeni Street, 022328, Bucharest, Romania. 3. Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. 4. Department of Pediatrics, "Marie S. Curie" Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, Bucharest, Romania. 5. Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. 6. Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. traian.dumitrascu@umfcd.ro. 7. Department of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Division of Surgical Oncology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 258 Fundeni Street, 022328, Bucharest, Romania. traian.dumitrascu@umfcd.ro.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Central pancreatectomy (CP) is the alternative to distal pancreatectomy (DP) for specific pathologies of the mid-pancreas. However, the benefits of CP over DP remain controversial. This study aims to compare the two procedures by conducting a meta-analysis of all published papers. METHODS: A systematic search of original studies comparing CP vs. DP was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases up to June 2018. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) checklist was followed. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were included (596 patients with CP and 1070 patients with DP). Compared to DP, CP was associated with significantly higher rates of overall and severe morbidity (p < 0.0001), overall and clinically relevant pancreatic fistula (p < 0.0001), postoperative hemorrhage (p = 0.02), but with significantly lower incidences of new-onset (p < 0.0001) and worsening diabetes mellitus (p = 0.004). Furthermore, significantly longer length of hospital stay (p < 0.0001) was observed for CP patients. CONCLUSIONS: CP is superior to DP regarding the preservation of pancreatic functions, but at the expense of significantly higher complication rates and longer hospital stay. Proper selection of patients is of utmost importance to maximize the benefits and mitigate the risks of CP.
BACKGROUND: Central pancreatectomy (CP) is the alternative to distal pancreatectomy (DP) for specific pathologies of the mid-pancreas. However, the benefits of CP over DP remain controversial. This study aims to compare the two procedures by conducting a meta-analysis of all published papers. METHODS: A systematic search of original studies comparing CP vs. DP was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases up to June 2018. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) checklist was followed. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were included (596 patients with CP and 1070 patients with DP). Compared to DP, CP was associated with significantly higher rates of overall and severe morbidity (p < 0.0001), overall and clinically relevant pancreatic fistula (p < 0.0001), postoperative hemorrhage (p = 0.02), but with significantly lower incidences of new-onset (p < 0.0001) and worsening diabetes mellitus (p = 0.004). Furthermore, significantly longer length of hospital stay (p < 0.0001) was observed for CP patients. CONCLUSIONS: CP is superior to DP regarding the preservation of pancreatic functions, but at the expense of significantly higher complication rates and longer hospital stay. Proper selection of patients is of utmost importance to maximize the benefits and mitigate the risks of CP.