The Role of Minimally Invasive Enucleation in the Treatment of Pancreatic Tumors

Pancreatic enucleation has been performed for small, benign or premalignant lesions of the pancreas. The goal of this parenchymapreserving strategy is to reduce the risk of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency and potentially the risks associated with pancreatic and biliary anastomoses. Studies have shown open pancreatic enucleation to be a viable option for patients, with a debatable increased risk of pancreatic fistula. With the advent of minimally invasive techniques and increasing experience, centers have started to perform laparoscopic pancreatic enucleation. Small studies have been performed demonstrating the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic pancreatic enucleation, with patient positioning and port placement dependent upon the location of the lesion. Laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound plays an important role in the localization of these tumors and their proximity to the pancreatic duct and vascular structures, which helps to determine appropriateness for enucleation.