Background/aims: Pancreatic body and tail carcinoma (PBTC) is an aggressive disease with a low resectability rate. Celiac axis infiltration usually contraindicates resection. Extended distal pancreatectomy with combined en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR, also named Appleby operation) was described as a new concept for the curative treatment of these tumors. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of DP-CAR in PBTC.
Methodology: Analyze by summarizing the 24 cases of PBTC during October 2005 to August 2010 in the pancreatic surgery of our hospital and analyzing the clinical manifestations, surgical processing, pathological effects and survival rate of the patients.
Results: The postoperative mortality rate was 0%, despite a high morbidity rate (54%). Preoperative intractable abdominal and/or back pain in all the patients was completely alleviated immediately after surgery. During the follow-up survey among all the patients of 2 to 37 months (with an average follow-up survey of 12.67 months), no patient was still alive, with the median survival of 9.25 months. Estimated overall 1- and 3-year survival rates were 46% and 4%, respectively.
Conclusions: DP-CAR offers a high resectability rate without increasing the mortality rate given skilled surgical technique.