This minimally invasive procedure, pioneering in Spain, has been developed by a team of surgeons at the University Hospital of Navarra, which brings together the greatest experience worldwide in this technique.
The results obtained in patients were recently published in the specialised surgery journal of greatest international impact, Annals of Surgery . It is the highest number of patients operated on using laparoscopic central pancreatectomy and that has been published in scientific literature worldwide. The specialists who took part in the study and who undertook the surgical technique are Doctors Fernando Pardo, Fernando Rotellar and Custodia Montiel, surgeons at the University Hospital of Navarra
As Doctor Pardo, Director of the Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery service states, this technique has been recognised as a feasible procedure that reduces complications and hospitalisation periods, in a highly specific pancreatic pathology. The main achievement is having managed to devise a laparoscopic surgery technique for operations which to date has only been possible through open surgery. This new laparoscopic method is much less invasive and enables a large part of the gland to be conserved, and thus avoids the appearance of post-operative diabetes.
Complex technique - excellent results
The results of the laparoscopic central pancreatectomy have been excellent, according to Doctor Rotellar, and can even exceed those achieved by open surgery. According to this specialist, the laparoscopic technique reduces complications compared to open surgery. The period of hospitalisation is reduced from the average of ten days with the conventional procedure to four days with laparoscopy. The much lower rates for side effects also bear on reduced hospitalisation periods.