Results of Surgical Reintervention After Suboptimal Initial Resection for Locoregional Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Small Intestine.

BACKGROUND

Complete resection is the only chance for cure in small intestine neuroendocrine neoplasms (SI-NEN). Previous ENETS guidelines proposed standards for the surgery of SI-NEN, which should be followed to provide long-term disease-free survival.

AIM

To analyze the results of reintervention for locoregional SI-NEN (stages I-III) after suboptimal initial resection.

METHODS

Perioperative characteristics of all patients who underwent surgical reintervention after suboptimal initial resection (SIR) of locoregional SI-NEN were retrieved from a prospective database. Patient characteristics, initial and redo procedures, imaging before reintervention, pathological results of SIR, and after reintervention, including missed primary tumors and lymph node metastases, were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

During a 15 years period, 21 of 93 (22%) patients had surgical reinterventions after SIR. In 20 of 21 (95%) cases, the initial resection was performed outside an ENETS center of excellence. Ten (48%) of those cases were emergency operations because of the bowel obstruction or bowel bleeding. Seven SIR (33%) cases were performed laparoscopically, and in another 5 (24%) cases, a complete endoscopic mucosa resection was performed. Imaging before reintervention visualized residual disease in 15 of 21 (71%) patients. Surgical reintervention included either lymphadenectomy alone (LAD, n = 3) or small bowel resection plus systematic LAD (n = 12) or right hemicolectomy/ileocecal resection with systematic LAD (n = 6), respectively. In 19 of 21 (90%) patients, a R0 resection could be achieved. One patient (5%) experienced postoperative clinically relevant complications. According to pathology, in 10 (48%) patients lymph node metastases, in 6 (29%) patients additional primary tumors, and in 5 (24%) patients, both lymph nodes metastases and primary tumors were left behind in the SIR. After mean follow-up of 52 months, 16 (76%) of 21 patients were free of disease, 4 (19%) patients were alive with disease, and 1 patient deceased of an unrelated cause.

CONCLUSION

The proposed standards to resect locoregional SI-NEN should be followed to avoid SIR, although the prognosis after adequate surgical reintervention is good.