Should the Portal Vein Be Routinely Resected During Pancreaticoduodenectomy For Adenocarcinoma?

Introduction: In pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA), a margin negative resection (R0) is critical for long-term survival. Background: Although pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with en-bloc portal vein/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) resection is used in patients with venous involvement by tumor, its utility in patients with no venous involvement is unknown. This study examines survival in patients with no venous involvement who had PD with PV/SMV resection. Methods: From 2000 to 2010, 34 patients had PD with PV/SMV resection for resectable PA on preoperative staging. Fifteen patients (44%) had histological venous involvement and 19 (56%) had no histological involvement (-PV/SMV group). We matched 1:1 the -PV/SMV group (n = 19) with 19 contemporaneous PA patients who had a standard PD (control group) for age, tumor stage, tumor size, lymph node invasion, lymph node ratio, perineural invasion, margins status, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels. Results: No differences were noted between the -PV/SMV group (n = 19) and the matched control group (n = 19) in morbidity, mortality, reoperation rate, or length of hospital stay. Median survival (42 months vs. 22 months, P = 0.02) and overall 3-year survival (60% vs. 31%, P = 0.03) were significantly longer in the -PV/SMV group compared with the control group. Conclusions: Patients with PA and no venous involvement who had PD with PV/SMV resection had a significantly longer overall survival than patients in a matched control group who had PD without venous resection.