Retrograde vs Conventional Dissection Technique in Pancreaticoduodenectomy

A retrograde dissection technique of pancreaticoduodenectomy in a caudocranial direction has been described recently.Fifteen consecutive patients who underwent retrograde pancreaticoduodenectomy were compared with 15 consecutive patients operated on through a conventional approach. The mean (SD) intraoperative blood loss was 407 (202) mL in the retrograde group compared with 423 (253) mL in the conventional group (P = .84). The mean (SD) operative duration was 255 (57) minutes in the retrograde group compared with 264 (54) minutes in the conventional group (P = .66). The overall morbidity was 7 of 15 patients (47%) in the retrograde group and 6 of 15 (40%) in the conventional group (P > .99). Neither group had a positive resection margin or a perioperative death.The retrograde dissection technique had no significant difference in perioperative outcomes compared with the conventional dissection technique and could serve as an alternative dissection approach in pancreaticoduodenectomy.