Corporocaudal pancreatotomy with resection of the celiac axis for a pancreatic body adenocarcinoma: intervention of modified Appleby

Complete oncologic resection is the only procedure that enables survival in pancreatic cancer. Compromise of the liver artery, the celiac artery or the superior mesenteric artery constitute a surgical contraidication since it is associated to a bad prognosis and it is technically hard to achieve a complete surgical resection. Only a selected group of patients who respond well to chemotherapy and may be subject to resection benefit from celiac artery resection surgery. A clinical case of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with infiltration of the common liver artery and the celiac artery underwent a corporeo-caudal pancreatosplenectomy with celiac artery resection after a good response to neoadjuvant therapy and hepatic arterial embolization. Based on this, a review of literature on this issue and its relevant technical aspects was conducted. The analysis performed may suggest that in duly selected cases, corporeo-caudal pancreatosplenectomy with bloc celiac artery resection is a feasible and safe procedure with good surgical and oncologic results. Upon good response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and an experienced surgical team, this surgery seems to improve prognosis and the quality of life of these patients.