The Pedicled Teres Hepatis Ligament Flap Wrap Around the Gastroduodenal Artery Stump to Prevent Postoperative Hemorrhage after Laparoscopic Pancreatoduodenectomy (with Video)

  Objective  To explore the feasibility and safety of teres hepatis ligament flap plasty around the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) stump to prevent postoperative hemorrhage after laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD).

  Methods  A total of 108 patients with GDA stump wrapped by pedicled teres hepatis ligament after LPD in our center were included for analysis from March 2018 to March 2019. After completion of LPD, teres hepatis ligament was dissected from the ventral abdominal cephalad along the ventral attachment, and the teres hepatis ligament was separated from the falciform ligament by ultrasonic scalpel or Ligasure. At the junction to the liver, the teres hepatis ligament is freed from the ventral hepatic surface. The junction between liver and teres hepatis ligament should not be cut off to ensure blood supply. Division of the GDA was performed using a Prolene 4-0 suture stitch or two clamps as a standard (see the Video 1 in Supplemental Contents, http://ykxb.scu.edu.cn/article/doi/10.12182/20200760602). The pedicled teres hepatis ligament then was used to completely cover the skeletonized GDA stump, and part of the common hepatic artery and the proper hepatic artery. The mobilized ligament can be transposed without tension.

  Results  A total of 108 patients completed the procedure of GDA stump wrapped with pedicled teres hepatis ligament during LPD. There were no complications caused by GDA stump after operation. The main steps to wrap the GDA stump took an average of 10 min. Clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) occurred in 8 cases (7.4%) (including 6 cases of grade B pancreatic fistula and 2 cases of grade C pancreatic fistula), and intra-abdominal infection in 8 cases (7.4%), including 3 cases (2.8%) of intra-abdominal abscess, postoperative gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding occurred in 2 cases (1.9%), and no intra-abdominal hemorrhage occurred.

  Conclusion  It is a safe and feasible procedure of wrapping GDA stump with pedicled teres hepatis ligament to prevent postoperative hemorrhage after LPD. The procedure is easy to perform without relevant additional surgical trauma or prolongation of the operation time.