Use of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patch in vascular repair of portal vein in a patient with pancreatic cancer.

Advanced-stage gastrointestinal tumors are aggressive and frequently invade blood vessels. Advances in endovascular surgery can repair blood vessels that may be infiltrated by a tumor. Currently there are many materials to do this, as the use of prostheses or implants and patches. In Mexico, the bovine pericardium preserved with glutaraldehyde has been used to treat incisional, inguinal, and diaphragmatic hernias and repair vascular defects with good results, low cost, and no allergic reaction from the patient. We report the case of a 47-year-old man, with a history of smoking and alcoholism, diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The tumor, with the use of endoscopic ultrasound, showed direct contact with the portal vein without invading the confluence of the mesenteric vein. During exploratory laparotomy, a tumor attached to the head of the pancreas of 4 cm × 4 cm was found, with tumor invasion of 1 cm × 2 cm on the outer sidewall of the portal vein. We performed pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy and tumor resection of the portal vein wall with placement of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patch to repair it. The intraoperative and immediate postoperative period arose without complications. The patient was discharged with good result and is currently under surveillance. We report this case to show a successful result using glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium to close vascular defects after resection of the tumor secondary to vascular invasion.