[Pancreatoduodenectomy for invasive carcinoma of the head of the pancreas with ligation of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery performed first].

The ideal surgical procedure for treating pancreatic cancer achieves radical excision in a minimally invasive manner and allows rapid transition to adjuvant chemotherapy. If the afferent artery to the pancreatic head is not ligated until the latter half of the surgery, congestion of the pancreaticoduodenal vein may occur, leading to phleborrhagia and increased intraoperative hemorrhage. Ligation of the afferent artery, i.e., the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (IPDA), in the first half of the surgery may prevent the occurrence of hemorrhage due to congestion. Early ligation of the IPDA is also useful in ensuring the success of radical dissection of the plexus around the superior mesenteric artery or the no. 14 lymph node. We have been performing pancreaticoduodenectomies with antecedent IPDA ligation since 2005 and have found that the percentage of R0 versus R1 and R2 has increased compared with that when standard pancreaticoduodenectomies were performed. Preemptive ligation of the IPDA early in pancreaticoduodenectomy for invasive pancreatic cancer is a useful method for reducing blood loss and achieving R0 resection in a thorough yet efficient manner.