Pancreatic cancer surgeries are considered among the most complex in surgery. The main danger often arises after surgical intervention — when tissues do not heal well and aggressive pancreatic juice begins to enter the abdominal cavity. This complication can lead to severe damage to internal organs and even death of the patient. Penza surgeons have proposed a new way to solve this problem.

The discovery was made by specialists from the Medical Institute of Penza State University, according to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Surgeons developed and patented a new method for the reconstructive-restorative stage during pancreatoduodenectomy. This operation is used in the treatment of malignant tumors of the pancreas, duodenum, and common bile duct.

The essence of the method is that the residual part of the pancreas is placed in a special “intestinal cuff” — a kind of hermetic sac formed from the small intestine. This design allows for reliable tissue retention and reduces the risk of pancreatic juice leakage.

The new connection method provides additional reliability and helps to avoid dangerous complications. Researchers believe that the method can be applied not only in the treatment of oncological diseases but also in patients with chronic forms of pancreatitis.

The soft pancreas is difficult to suture in the usual way because the tissue literally cuts through. In the new design, the need for a large number of sutures practically disappears.

Doctors have already operated on 20 patients at the Penza Oncology Dispensary. None of the patients developed clinically significant pancreatic fistulas after the operation — one of the most dangerous complications after such interventions.