Experience of using stent grafts in the treatment of patients with arrosive bleeding after pancreatic surgery

Aim . To evaluate inhospital outcomes of endovascular treatment in patients who underwent endoprosthetic replacement of the culprit vessel due to arrosive bleeding after pancreatic surgery. Material and methods . In the period 2012-2021 at the A. V. Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, 821 operations on the pancreas due to tumors and complicated chronic pancreatitis were performed. Seventy-five (9,1%) patients developed postoperative arrosive bleeding. Stent grafts were used to stop bleeding in 14 (18,7%) of them. There were 9 men (64,3%) and 5 women (35,7%). The median age of patients was 60 years (men — 61 years, women — 59 years). Arrosive bleeding occurred after pancreaticoduodenal resection in 13 patients, while in one case — after distal pancreatic resection. In all 14 cases, postoperative bleeding was severe and classified as grade C according to the International Study Group for Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS) classification. Results. There were following sources of bleeding: gastroduodenal artery — 4 (28,6%) patients, proximal hepatic arteries (right/left) — in 4 (28,6%) patients, proximal superior mesenteric artery — in 2 (14,3%), dorsal pancreatic artery — in 1 (7,1%), false aneurysm of proximal splenic artery — in 1 (7,1%), proximal common hepatic artery — in 2 (14,3%). In 10 (71,4%) patients, endoprosthetic replacement of the proximal segment of culprit artery was performed, while in 4 (28,6%) patients with arrosion of short gastroduodenal artery stump and false aneurysm, endoprosthesis replacement of the common hepatic artery was performed with a transition to the proper hepatic artery. The technical success of endovascular hemostasis (absence of contrast media extravasation) was achieved in 100% of cases. Three (21,4%) of 14 patients developed rebleeding from another arterial source. Inhospital mortality was 28,6% (n=4). The cause of deaths in 3 cases was the direct complications of endovascular hemostasis, while in one patient — progressive postoperative pancreatitis with the outcome in multiple organ failure. Conclusion. Endovascular hemostasis using a stent graft is an effective surgical method for the treatment of arrosive bleeding after pancreatic surgery. The intervention is associated with possible complications, the risk of which must be taken into account before the procedure. We consider arrosive bleeding from a defect in the main vessel (common/ proper/right or left hepatic arteries, superior mesenteric artery) as an indication for performing endoprosthetic replacement.