The falciform/round ligament “flooring,” an effective method to reduce life-threatening post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage occurrence

• Published in: Langenbeck's archives of surgery 2023-05, Vol.408 (1), p.192-192, Article 192
• Main Authors: Guilbaud, Théophile, Faust, Cindy, Picaud, Olivier, Baumstarck, Karine, Vicenty, Thibaud, Farvacque, Georges, Vanbrugghe, Charles, Berdah, Stéphane, Moutardier, Vincent, Birnbaum, David Jérémie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Cardiac Surgery; Female; General Surgery; Hemorrhage - prevention & control; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Pancreatectomy - methods; Pancreatic Fistula - etiology; Pancreatic Fistula - prevention & control; Pancreatic Fistula - surgery; Pancreaticoduodenectomy - adverse effects; Pancreaticoduodenectomy - methods; Postoperative Complications - prevention & control; Postoperative Hemorrhage - epidemiology; Postoperative Hemorrhage - etiology; Postoperative Hemorrhage - prevention & control; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Round Ligaments; Thoracic Surgery; Traumatic Surgery; Vascular Surgery
• ISSN: 1435-2451; 1435-2451
• DOI: 10.1007/s00423-023-02915-3

Purpose Late post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH) represents the most severe complication after pancreatic surgery. We have measured the efficacy of major vessels “flooring” with falciform/round ligament to prevent life-threatening grade C late PPH after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and distal pancreatectomy (DP). Methods All consecutive patients who underwent PD and DP between 2013 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed on a prospectively maintained database. The cohort was divided in two groups: “flooring” vs . “no flooring” method group. The “no flooring” group had omental flap interposition. Patient characteristics and operative and postoperative data including clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF), late PPH (grade B and C), and 90-day mortality were compared between the two groups. Results Two hundred and forty patients underwent pancreatic resections, including 143 PD and 97 DP. The “flooring” method was performed in 61 patients (39 PD and 22 DP). No difference was found between the two groups concerning severe morbidity, CR-POPF, delayed PPH, and mortality rate. The rate of patients requiring postoperative intensive care unit was lower in the “flooring” than in the “no flooring” method group (11.5% vs . 25.1%, p  = 0.030). Among patients with grade B/C late PPH ( n  = 30), the rate of life-threatening grade C late PPH was lower in the “flooring” than in the “no flooring” method group (28.6% ( n  = 2/7) vs . 82.6% ( n  = 19/24), p  = 0.014). Risk factor analysis showed that the “flooring” method was the only protective factor against grade C late PPH occurrence ( p  = 0.013). Conclusion The “flooring” method using the falciform/round ligament should be considered during pancreatectomies to reduce the occurrence of life-threatening grade C late PPH.