The Relationship between preoeoperative Biliary drainge and the morbidity and morassositated with pancreaticoduodenectomy

Kim, Se Yeon; Ye, Byung Kook; Jeon, Tae Yong; Sim, Mun Sup

Abstract

BACKGROUNDING AND AIM: Recent reports have suggested that preoperative biliary drainage increases the perioperative morbidity and mortality rates of pancreaticoduodenectomy. We reviewed retrospectively 150 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy to examine the relationship between preoperative biliarydrainage and the morbidity and mortality associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy.
METHODS
Peri-operative morbidity and mortality were evaluated in 150 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at Pusan National University Hospital for 10 years. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were done to evaluate the relationship between preoperative biliary decompression and the following end points: any complication, any major complication, infectious complications, intraabdominal abscess, pancreaticojejunal anastomotic leak, wound infection, and postoperative death.
RESULTS
Preoperative prosthetic biliary drainage was performed in 86 patients (57.3%) (stent group), 17 patients (11.3%) underwent surgical biliary bypass performed during prereferral laparotomy, and the remaining 47 patients(31.3%) (no-stent group) did not undergo any form of preoperative biliary decompression. The overall surgical death rate was 1.3% (two patients); the number of deaths was too small for multivariate analysis. By multivariate logistic regression, no differences were found between the stent and no-stent groups in the incidence of all complications, major complications, infectious complications, intraabdominal abscess, or pancreaticojejunal anastomotic leak. Wound infections were more common in the stent group than the no-stent group.
CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative biliary decompression increases the risk for postoperative wound infections after pancreaticoduodenectomy. However, there was no increase in the risk of major postoperative complications or death associated with preoperative stent placement. Patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction do not necessarily require immediate laparotomy to undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates; such patients can be treated by endoscopic biliary drainage without concern for increased major complications and death associated with subsequent pancreaticoduodenectomy.