Objective: To show that residual pancreatitis delays gastric emptying, the authors used surgical specimens and studied gastric stasis after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD).
Summary background data: Delayed gastric emptying is a leading cause of complications after PPPD, occurring in 30% of patients. The pathogenesis of delayed gastric emptying remains unclear.
Methods: Surgical specimens of the pancreas from 25 patients undergoing PPPD and pancreaticogastrostomy were collected and examined by microscopy according to progressive pancreatic fibrosis and divided into three groups: no fibrosis, periductal fibrosis, and intralobular fibrosis. The authors then measured gastric output from the nasogastric tube, pancreatic output from the pancreatic tube, and the time until patients tolerated a solid diet.
Results: Pancreatic juice output was significantly related to the degree of pathologic findings, and gastric output was inversely related to them. A significant prolongation of postoperative solid diet tolerance correlated with increased pancreatic fibrosis and gastric fluid production.
Conclusions: Pancreatic fibrosis and increased gastric fluid production correlate with delayed gastric emptying after PPPD with pancreaticogastrostomy.