Laparoscopic Whipple procedure with a two-layered pancreatojejunostomy

Excerpt

Since the first report of laparoscopic pancreatic resections in the early 1990s, laparoscopic resection of tumors in the pancreas has become increasingly more common in the surgical treatment of both benign and malignant tumors [1]. The minimally invasive approach to lesions in the head of the pancreas, however, still is performed only in highly specialized centers [2], principally due to concerns about the safety of dissecting tumors off the superior mesenteric/portal vein and superior mesenteric artery, the perceived difficulty controlling major hemorrhage via the laparoscopic approach, and concerns regarding the efficacy of a laparoscopically created pancreatic anastomosis. …