<b><i>Background:</i></b> The management of the pancreas in patients with duodenal trauma or duodenal tumors remains a controversial issue. Pancreas-preserving total duodenectomy (PPTD) requires a meticulous surgical technique. The most common indication is familial duodenal adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The aims of this study are to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the indications for PPTD and to highlight the risks and benefits compared with other more aggressive procedures. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> A systematic literature review was performed following PRISMA recommendations of studies published in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library until May 2019. Thirty articles describing 211 patients were chosen. The mean age was 48 years. The surgical indication in 75% of patients was FAP. The mean operating time was 329 min and mean intraoperative bleeding 412 mL. Postoperative morbidity rate was 49.7% (76% Clavien-Dindo &#x3c;IIIa), and mortality rate was 1.4%. The mean hospital stay was 22 days. Overall survival at 1–3–5 years was &#x3e;97.8%. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> PPTD is indicated for patients with benign and premalignant duodenal lesions without involvement of the pancreatic head. It is a feasible procedure offering an alternative to other more aggressive procedures in selected patients. Mortality is below 1.5%.

To support the global restart of elective surgery, data from an international prospective cohort study of 8492 patients (69 countries) was analysed using artificial intelligence (machine learning techniques) to develop a predictive score for mortality in surgical patients with SARS-CoV-2. We found that patient rather than operation factors were the best predictors and used these to create the COVIDsurg Mortality Score (https://covidsurgrisk.app). Our data demonstrates that it is safe to restart a wide range of surgical services for selected patients.

Background The potential of haemostatic patches to reduce the rate of postoperative pancreatic fistula remains unclear. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the impact of a polyethylene glycol-coated haemostatic patch on the incidence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy. Methods In this randomized, single-centre, clinical trial, patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy were randomized 1 : 1 to receive pancreatojejunostomy reinforced with two polyethylene glycol-coated haemostatic patches (patch group) or without any reinforcement (control group). The primary outcome was clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula, defined as grade B/C according to International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery criteria, within 90 days. Key secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay, total rate of postoperative pancreatic fistula, and overall complication rate. Results From 15 May 2018 to 22 June 2020, 72 patients were randomized, and 64 were included in the analyses (31 in the patch group and 33 in the control group). The risk of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula was reduced by 90 per cent (OR 0.10, 95 per cent c.i. 0.01 to 0.89, P = 0.039). Moreover, the use of the polyethylene glycol-coated patch retained its protective effect on clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula in a multivariable regression model, significantly reducing the risk of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula by 93 per cent (OR 0.07, 95 per cent c.i. 0.01 to 0.67, P = 0.021), regardless of patient age, sex, or fistula risk score. The incidence of secondary outcomes did not significantly differ between the groups. One patient died within 90 days in the patch group versus three patients in the control group. Conclusions A polyethylene glycol-coated haemostatic patch reduced the incidence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy. Registration number NCT03419676 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

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Background: Focused parathyroidectomy is a safe technique for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism. The CaPTHUS score and the Wisconsin index are preoperative diagnostic tools designed to distinguish between single-and multigland disease. The aim of the study is to evaluate the usefulness of these models for predicting multiglandular disease in a European population.Methods: Retrospective review of a database of patients operated upon for primary hyperparathyroidism at a referral center. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and reliability of both scores for the prediction of multiglandular disease, were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of CaPTHUS score and Wisconsin Index for predicting single-gland disease. A level of P<0.05 was accepted as significant.Results: Two hundred and eighty-one patients who underwent successful surgery from January 2001 to December 2018 were included. Single-gland disease was detected in 92.5%, and 73.7% had a CaPTHUS score of ≥3. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of this model for predicting singlegland disease with a score of ≥3 were 76.9%, 66.7%, 96.6%, and 18.9% respectively. The area under the curve value of the CaPTHUS score for predicting single-gland disease was 0.74. A Wisconsin Index >2,000 and an excised gland weight above one gram presented a positive predictive value for single-gland disease of 92.5%.Conclusions: Despite the good performance of both scales, the established cut-off points did not definitively rule out parathyroid multiglandular disease in our population. In cases with a minimal suspicion of this condition, additional intraoperative techniques must be used, or bilateral neck explorations should be performed.

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Introduction: Artery-first pancreatoduodenectomy (AF-PD) has a positive impact on short-and long-term outcome as compared to the conventional PD (C-PD). However, appropriate AF-PD may be still unclear when focusing on extent of lymphadenectomy, or that of nerve plexus dissection around the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Methods: We investigated recurrence and survival in 88 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the head (PDAC-H) who underwent PD. Forty-five patients underwent AF-PD with the lymphadenectomy around the SMA but without nerve plexus dissection around SMA (AF-PD group), and forty-three patients underwent PD without artery-first approach, i.e., without left side lymphadenectomy at the SMA (C-PD group). Results: The median amounts of blood loss were significantly lower in the AF-PD group than in the C-PD group (P=0.0210). The numbers of totally dissected lymph nodes were significantly greater in the AF-PD group than in the C-PD group (P=0.0165). The incidence of recurrence rate of the lymph node (LN) around SMA (No. 14 LN) was significantly lower in the AF-PD group (20%) than in the C-PD group (39.5%, p=0.045). The median survival after PD was significantly higher in the AF-PD group (40.3 months) than in the C-PD group (22.6 months, p=0.014). Conclusions: The present data showed that PD based on artery-first approach and lymphadenectomy whole around SMA but preserving whole nerve plexus in patients with T3 PDAC-H may prevent LN recurrence around the SMA and may result in longer survival.

Background: Mucinous cysts of the pancreas (MCN) are infrequent, usually unilocular tumors which occur in postmenopausal women and are located in the pancreatic body/tail. The risk of malignancy is low.The objective is to define preoperative risk factors of malignancy in pancreatic MCN and to assess the feasibility of the laparoscopic approach.Methods: Retrospective multicenter observational study of prospectively recorded data regarding distal pancreatectomies was carried out at seven hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Units between 01/01/08 and 31/12/18 (the ERPANDIS Project).Results: Four hundred and forty-four distal pancreatectomies were recorded including 47 MCN (10.6%).Thirty-five were non-invasive tumors (74.5%). In all, 93% of patients were female, and 60% were ASA (American Society of Anaesthesiology) II. The mean preoperative size was 46 mm. Patients with invasive tumors were older (54 vs. 63 years). Invasive tumors were larger (6 vs. 4 cm), although the difference was not significant (P=0.287). Sixty percent was operated via laparoscopic approach, which was used in 74.6% of noninvasive tumors and in 16.7% of the invasive ones. The spleen was not preserved in 93.6% of the patients. R0 resection was obtained in all patients. Two patients with invasive tumors died.Conclusions: In our surgical series of MCN, patients with malignancy were older and presented larger tumors, although the difference was not statistically significant. Laparoscopy is a safe and feasible approach for MCN. Prospective studies are now needed to define risk factors that can guide the decision whether to administer conservative treatment or to operate.