Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy to treat solid pseudopapillary tumors in children: transition from open to laparoscopic approaches in suitable cases.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of open and laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) in the treatment of solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPT) in children.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 22 patients under 18 years of age who underwent a distal pancreatectomy for SPT between January 1995 and December 2012.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients and eight patients underwent LDP and open distal pancreatectomy (ODP), respectively, and 71.4 % of the LDP and 25.0 % of the ODP procedures were spleen-sparing operations. The median duration of surgery in the LDP group was shorter than that in the ODP group [175 (range 120-540) vs. 257 (range 200-305) min, p = 0.024]. There were no differences in postoperative complications. The LDP patients commenced oral intake earlier than the ODP patients [2.0 (range 1.0-7.0) vs. 4.0 (range 3.0-12.0) days, p = 0.010], and had an earlier discharge from hospital [7.0 (range 5.0-20.0) vs. 13.0 (range 7.0-22.0) days, p = 0.009].

CONCLUSION

LDP treatment for SPT in children is associated with a shorter hospitalization and a shorter time to oral intake compared to ODP. LDP is a safe and feasible option for SPT in select pediatric patients.