Preoperative Endoscopic Pancreatic Stent for Distal Pancreatectomy

Distal pancreatectomy (DP) with or without splenectomy is commonly indicated for pancreatic body or tail lesions. Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains the commonest complication after DP. A pre-operatively placed pancreatic stent across papilla can decrease the pressure gradient between pancreatic duct and duodenum. Therefore, the pancreatic juice flow is redirected from the pancreatic transection plane and leakage from pancreatic stump is much reduced. This study aims to evaluate whether pre-operatively placed pancreatic stent can prevent POPF by a randomized controlled trial.