Distal pancreatectomy with splenic preservation: the anatomic basis for a meticulous operation.

A case of distal pancreatectomy with splenic preservation is presented. In ten cadaver dissections of distal pancreas, an average of 22.1 tributaries of the splenic vein and 7.6 branches of the splenic artery were demonstrated. Anatomic considerations for splenic salvage during distal pancreatectomy are reviewed. Knowledge of the smaller pancreatic branches of the splenic vasculature is important in this surgical repair.