The Largest Western Experience with Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy: Lessons Learned with 35 Cases

BACKGROUND Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy is one of the most complex abdominal operations mainly indicated in advanced biliary carcinoma. AIM To present 10-year experience performing this operation in advanced malignant tumors. METHODS This is a retrospective descriptive study. From 2004 to 2014, 35 hepatopancreatoduodenectomies were performed in three different institutions. The most common indication was advanced biliary carcinoma in 24 patients (68.5%). RESULTS Eighteen patients had gallbladder cancer, eight Klatskin tumors, five neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastasis, one colorectal metastasis invading the pancreatic head, one intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with liver metastasis, one gastric cancer recurrence with liver involvement and one ocular melanoma with pancreatic head and right liver lobe metastasis. All patients were submitted to pancreatoduodenectomy with a liver resection as follows: eight right trisectionectomies, five right lobectomies, four left lobectomies, 18 central lobectomies (IVb, V and VIII). The overall mortality was 34.2% (12/35) and the overall morbidity rate was 97.4%. CONCLUSION Very high mortality is seen when major liver resection is performed with pancreatoduodenectomy, including right lobectomy and trisectionectomy. Liver failure in combination with a pancreatic leak is invariably lethal. Efforts to ensure a remnant liver over 40-50% of the total liver volume are the key to obtain patient survival.