Optimizing pancreatic enucleation for benign tumors: the role of pre-placed pancreatic duct stents-a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of pre-placed pancreatic duct stents on improving outcomes of pancreatic enucleation for benign tumors, a procedure often discouraged by postoperative complications, such as pancreatic fistulae.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective cohort study analyzed 148 patients with benign tumors located in the head, neck, and body of the pancreas between February 2021 and February 2024. Thirty-four patients received stent placement by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography 1-2 days before surgery, while 114 did not. Propensity score matching resulted in two groups: stent (n = 30) and non-stent (n = 60). Outcomes compared included enucleation success rate, incidence of pancreatic fistulae, hospital stay, procedural costs, pancreatic function deficiency, and quality of life.

RESULTS

Pre-placement of stents significantly increased enucleation success rate (86.7% vs. 28.3%, p = 1.763 × 10), facilitated more laparoscopic surgeries (86.7% vs. 41.7%, p = 4.9 × 10), and shortened hospital stays (median 7.5 days vs. 11 days, p = 0.001). The stent group also showed a lower incidence of pancreatic exocrine dysfunction (10.3% vs. 35.7%, p = 0.016) and higher quality of life scores (91.2 ± 5.8 vs. 85.5 ± 13.6, p = 0.019). No significant differences were observed in postoperative complications or overall costs. Additionally, the distance between tumor and main pancreatic duct was shorter in the stent group (4.2 ± 2.2 mm vs. 6.2 ± 2.5 mm, p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Pre-placement of pancreatic duct stents significantly enhances enucleation success rate, reduces hospital stays, preserves pancreatic function, and improves quality of life. These findings advocate the use of pre-placed stents in enucleation procedures. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these outcomes.