ABSTRACT
Objective:To study factors associated with postoperative acute pancreatitis (POAP) in patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy.Methods:This retrospective analysis included 60 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from Jan 2020 to Aug 2021. Enhanced computed tomography was used to identify POAP during postoperative period of 4 to 9 days. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to find out the risk factors of POAP.Results:Of the 60 patients, 13 cases (21.7%) developed POAP. The incidence of clinically related pancreatic fistula with abdominal abscess (76.9% vs.19.1%, χ2=15.71, P<0.000 1), postoperative hospital stay (26 d vs. 18 d, U=141.5, P=0.002 5) and the severity of complications (Clavien-Dindo grade≥Ⅲ: 53.8% vs. 21.3%, χ2=5.32, P=0.02) were significantly higher in the POAP group. But there was no significant deviation between the two groups when it comes to the severe post pancreatectomy delayed hemorrhage (7.7% vs. 0, χ2=3.68, P=0.06) and the delayed gastric emptying (30.8% vs. 21.3%, χ2=0.51, P=0.47). In the univariate analysis, patients with higher body mass index ( P=0.000 3), smaller main pancreatic duct diameter ( P<0.000 1) and softer texture of the pancreas ( P=0.009) were more likely to develop POAP after pancreaticoduodenectomy. In the multivariate analysis, the pancreatic duct diameter≤2 mm ( OR=0.005,95% CI 0.000 06-0.44, P=0.020), the softer texture of pancreas ( OR=0.005, 95% CI 0.000 04-0.47, P=0.023) were risk factors for POAP. Conclusions:Patients with postoperative acute pancreatitis increased the incidence of pancreatic fistula complicating abdominal abscess.Small caliber pancreatic tube, soft texture of pancreas were risk factors of POAP.