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Second-Look Operation for Unresectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma at a High-Volume Center

¹ Department of General Surgery, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
² Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
³ Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Correspondence: Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Markus W. Büchler, MD; E-mail: markus.buechler{at}med.uni-heidelberg.de

Background: The value of re-exploration for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after the initial diagnosis of unresectability is unclear.

Methods: In this study, we analyzed 33 patients who were re-explored after an initial diagnosis of unresectability.

Results: At the time of reoperation, a resectable tumor was found in 18 patients: therefore, 15 pancreaticoduodenectomies, two total pancreatectomies and one left resection were performed with three vascular resections. Morbidity and mortality rates for the cohort were 6/33 and 1/33, without significant differences between resectable and nonresectable patients. Length of stay, duration of operation, and blood loss were significantly increased in the resection group. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated increased median survival for resected patients (1078 days after the initial operation versus 547 days in the group of unresectable patients; p = 0.018). Analysis of the reasons against initial resection showed that, if the patients had been sent to a tertiary referral center for pancreatic surgery, a different decision in favor of resection would probably have been made in 14 out of 33 patients. A review of 10 published reports on reoperation for pancreatic cancer revealed results comparable to our study in terms of low morbidity and mortality as well as a survival benefit.

Conclusions: Reoperation for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that is initially deemed unresectable can be safely performed in a selected group of patients by experienced surgeons, supporting the concept of patient centralization in pancreatic surgery. Resection at the second operation may confer a survival benefit even when the initial findings preclude a potentially curative approach.

Key Words: Pancreatic cancer • Reoperation • Second look • Unresectability