A Risk Analysis for Ischemic Necrosis of the Remnant Stomach After Distal Pancreatectomy in Patients With Previous Distal Gastrectomy: A Multicenter Retrospective Survey by the Japanese Society of Pancreatic Surgery.

Background/purpose: The remnant stomach after distal gastrectomy (DG) which receives its blood supply mainly from the splenic artery (SPA), is at high risk for gastric ischemia following distal pancreatectomy (DP). We investigated the risk factors for ischemic necrosis of the remnant stomach (INS) during or after DP in DG patients.

Patients/methods: We collected 414 patients who underwent DP after DG between July 2009 and December 2019 by distributing questionnaires to members of the Japanese Society of Pancreatic Surgery (JSPS) in 2020, and the risk factors for INS were analyzed in 364 eligible patients.

Results: INS developed in 17 (4.7%) patients. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that dissection of the left inferior phrenic artery (LIPA) during DP (odds ratio [OR] 51.9, p < 0.001), current DP for pancreatic cancer (OR 6.19, p = 0.017), and previous DG for gastric cancer (OR 6.12, p = 0.017) were independent risk factors for INS.

Conclusions: Preservation of the LIPA is necessary to avoid INS when DP is performed in DG patients. Additionally, careful surgical management is required in patients undergoing DP for pancreatic cancer and who have undergone DG for gastric cancer because they are candidates for INS after DP.