Insulinoma / Insulinoma

RESUMEN El insulinoma es un tumor poco frecuente de las células de los islotes pancreáticos, caracterizado por la proliferación de las células betas. Son tumores neuroendocrinos pancreáticos, generalmente benignos y de pequeño tamaño, caracterizados por el síndrome de hipersecreción de insulina con el desarrollo de hipoglucemia. La mayoría de estos tumores son esporádicos, solo alrededor de 15-30 % es hereditario; está asociado a enfermedades como la neoplasia endocrina múltiple tipo 1, o el síndrome de Von Hippel-Lindau. La incidencia de dicho tumor es de 3-10 casos por cada millón de habitantes. La edad media de aparición es entre 40-50 años de edad y es más frecuente en mujeres. El reconocimiento temprano y el diagnóstico adecuado de este tumor pancreático raro, son aspectos importantes pues es potencialmente curable con un tratamiento quirúrgico oportuno.

ABSTRACT Insulinoma is a rare pancreatic islet cell tumor characterized by proliferation of beta cells. They are pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, generally benign and small in size, characterized by insulin hypersecretion syndrome with the development of hypoglycemia. Most of these tumors are sporadic, only about 15-30% are hereditary; it is associated with diseases such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, or Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. The incidence of this tumor is 3-10 cases per million inhabitants. The average age of onset is between 40-50 years of age and it is more frequent in women. Early recognition and proper diagnosis of this rare pancreatic tumor are important aspects, as it is potentially curable with timely surgical treatment.

[Importance of surgery in distant metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms]. / Stellenwert der Chirurgie bei fernmetastasierten neuroendokrinen Neoplasien des Pankreas.

The majority of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNEN) already present with distant metastases at diagnosis. The heterogeneity of pNEN and the broad spectrum of treatment options make adequate patient selection and an evidence-based strategy essential. In metastatic pNEN both primary resection and resection of liver metastases have been shown to improve overall survival. Surgical treatment of liver metastases can also be carried out with palliative intent, especially for symptomatic pNEN and can have a positive effect on disease-free survival and overall survival. Classical hepatectomy techniques and innovative techniques (two-stage resections, liver transplantation) are available to the surgeon. In complex growth types of liver metastases, there is increasing evidence for a combination of surgery and ablative methods. Due to a relevant risk of recurrence following liver resection, pNEN patients need to be included in multimodal treatment concepts. Current areas of interest in the treatment of metastatic pNEN are the use of adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery in G3-NEN and G3-NEC patients. The aim of this review is to give an overview on the impact of surgery in the situation of distant metastatic NEN of the pancreas.

Procedimiento de Whipple: experiencia de un centro en fase de crecimiento en cirugía hepato-bilio-pancreática / Whipple procedure: hepatic-bilio-pancreatic single center experience

La operación de Whipple es el procedimiento quirúrgico de mayor complejidad en cirugía abdominal, este se realiza en pacientes con tumores de la encrucijada pancreatoduodenal, es la única alternativa para tratamiento curativo en fases tempranas de la enfermedad. Objetivo: Determinar los resultados del procedimiento Whipple, en pacientes intervenidos con tumores de la encrucijada pancreatoduodenal en el Hospital General de Enfermedades del Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social, en el periodo de enero 2,015 a enero 2,020. Método: Descriptivo, observacional, retrospectivo. Resultados: Se incluyeron 42 procedimientos de Whipple, 29 (69%) casos del género masculino y 13 (31%) para el género femenino. La edad media fue de 61.5 años, el 54% presentaban comorbilidad asociada. El 24% utilizo transfusión transoperatoria de hemoderivados, el tiempo quirúrgico de 5.5 horas. La reintervención fue del 4.7%. Complicaciones postoperatorias tempranas 18%. La histología más común fue el carcinoma de cabeza de páncreas en el 43%. La mortalidad postoperatoria temprana fue del 4.7%. El OR de complicaciones asociadas a comorbilidades fue de 1.7 con un IC 0.3046-7.20 y un valor de P: 0.9251 que no es estadísticamente significativo. Conclusiones: Los tumores pancreatoduodenales en nuestra población se presentan en edades más tempranas a lo reportado. La morbimortalidad es similar a lo reportado en otros estudios a nivel latinoamericano, sin embargo las complicaciones están más elevadas que las mejores series internacionales. No existe asociación entre el riesgo de complicaciones con comorbilidades del paciente. (AU)

Whipple operation is the most complex surgical procedure in abdominal surgery, it's performed in patients with tumors of the pancreaticoduodenal crossroads, it is the only alternative for curative treatment in early stages of the disease. Objective: To determine the results of the Whipple procedure in patients operated on with tumors of the ancreaticoduodenal crossroads at the Hospital General de Enfermedades del IGSS in the period from January 2015 to January 2020. Method: Descriptive, observational, retrospective. Results: fourtytwo Whipple procedures were included, 29 (69%) cases of the male gender and 13 (31%) for the female gender. The mean age was 61.5 years, 54% had associated comorbidity. Twentyfour percent used intraoperative transfusion of blood products and surgical time of 5.5 hours. Reoperation was 4.7% with early postoperative complications of 18%. The most common histology was carcinoma of the head of the pancreas in 43%. Early postoperative mortality was 4.7%. The OR of complications associated with comorbidities was 1.7 with a CI 0.3046-7.20 and a P value: 0.9251, which is not statistically significant. Conclusions: Pancreaticoduodenal tumors in our population present at an earlier age than reported. Morbidity and mortality is similar to that reported in other studies. There is no association between the risk of complications with patient comorbidities. (AU)

Renal Cell Carcinoma and a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Coincidence or Instance of Von Hippel-Lindau Disease?

We herein report a rare case of a 79-year-old man who presented with the simultaneous occurrence of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) and renal cell carcinomas (RCC), without any other Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-associated lesions or any pertinent family history. Computed tomography showed vascular-rich solid lesions in the left kidney and the pancreatic tail, measuring 72 mm and 15 mm in size, respectively. Preoperatively, RCC with pancreatic metastasis was suspected and laparotomy was performed. However, the resected specimens revealed a different tumor histology, namely renal clear cell carcinoma (G2, pT3) and PNET (G1, pT3). The patient and his family refused genetic testing, however, so far, the patient has not developed any VHL-associated lesions for more than four years.

Hypoglycemic Syndrome without Hyperinsulinemia. A Diagnostic Challenge.

The most common cause of organic fasting hypoglycemia in adults is the presence of an insulin-producing pancreatic adenoma, but when high insulin levels are not found, the differential diagnosis is challenging. Misdiagnosis can lead to an unnecessary pancreatectomy. Insulin concentrations may be low in some cases despite a clinical history suggestive of insulinoma. In these cases, a proinsulinoma should be suspected, although the rarity of this condition requires an extensive workup before reaching a final diagnosis. We describe an unusual case of a 38-year-old man with a severe hypoglycemic syndrome due to a proinsulin-secreting pancreatic adenoma. Insulin was measured by the specific assay and suppressed under the lower detection limit during fasting hypoglycemia. Serum proinsulin and C-peptide levels were abnormally elevated, and further tests revealed an islet cell tumor. The tumor was surgically removed, relieving the fasting hypoglycemia. Histopathological study showed a conventional well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor with high immunoreactivity against proinsulin and with lesser intensity against insulin. Interestingly, GS-9A8 antibody clone used for immunostaining proinsulin did not cross-react with human insulin or C-peptide, providing an unbiased picture of proinsulin secretion. The resolution of symptoms, the fall of proinsulin concentrations after tumor removal and the histopathology study confirmed the diagnosis of proinsulinoma.

Postoperative Outcomes of Enucleation and Standard Resections in Patients with a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor.

BACKGROUND: Either enucleation or more extended resection is performed to treat patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET). Aim was to analyze the postoperative complications for each operation separately. Furthermore, independent risk factors for complications and incidence of pancreatic insufficiency were analyzed. METHODS: Retrospective all resected patients from two academic hospitals in The Netherlands between 1992 and 2013 were included. Postoperative complications were scored by both ISGPS and Clavien-Dindo criteria. Based on tumor location, operations were compared. Independent risk factors for overall complications were identified. During long-term follow-up, pancreatic insufficiency and recurrent disease were analyzed. RESULTS: Tumor enucleation was performed in 60/205 patients (29%), pancreatoduodenectomy in 65/205 (31%), distal pancreatectomy in 72/205 (35%) and central pancreatectomy in 8/205 (4%) patients. Overall complications after tumor enucleation of the pancreatic head and pancreatoduodenectomy were comparable, 24/35 (69%) versus 52/65 (80%). The same was found after tumor enucleation and resection of the pancreatic tail (36 vs.58%). Number of re-interventions and readmissions were comparable between all operations. After pancreatoduodenectomy, 33/65 patients had lymph node metastasis and in patients with tumor size ≤2 cm, 55% had lymph node metastasis. Tumor in the head and BMI ≥25 kg/m(2) were independent risk factors for complications after enucleation. During follow-up, incidence of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency was significant higher after pancreatoduodenectomy (resp. 55 and 19%) compared to the tumor enucleation and distal pancreatectomy (resp. 5 and 7% vs. 8 and 13%). After tumor enucleation 19% developed recurrent disease. CONCLUSION: Since the complication rate, need for re-interventions and readmissions were comparable for all resections, tumor enucleation may be regarded as high risk. Appropriate operation should be based on tumor size, location, and functional status of the pNET.

Postoperative Complications, In-Hospital Mortality and 5-Year Survival After Surgical Resection for Patients with a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Systematic Review.

Studies on postoperative complications and survival in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) are sparse and randomized controlled trials are not available. We reviewed all studies on postoperative complications and survival after resection of pNET. A systematic search was performed in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and EMBASE from 2000-2013. Inclusion criteria were studies of resected pNET, which described postoperative complications separately for each surgical procedure and/or 5-year survival after resection. Prospective and retrospective studies were pooled separately and overall pooled if heterogeneity was below 75%. The random-effect model was used. Overall, 2643 studies were identified and after full-text analysis 62 studies were included. Pancreatic fistula (PF) rate of the prospective studies after tumor enucleation was 45%; PF-rates after distal pancreatectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy, or central pancreatectomy were, respectively, 14-14-58%. Delayed gastric emptying rates were, respectively, 5-5-18-16%. Postoperative hemorrhage rates were, respectively, 6-1-7-4%. In-hospital mortality rates were, respectively, 3-4-6-4%. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of resected pNET without synchronous resected liver metastases were, respectively, 85-93%. Heterogeneity between included studies on 5-year OS in patients with synchronous resected liver metastases was too high to pool all studies. The 5-year DSS in patients with liver metastases was 80%. Morbidity after pancreatic resection for pNET was mainly caused by PF. Liver resection in patients with liver metastases seems to have a positive effect on DSS. To reduce heterogeneity, ISGPS criteria and uniform patient groups should be used in the analysis of postoperative outcome and survival.

Management of Islet Cell Tumours: A Single Hospital Experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Islet cell tumours (ICTs) are uncommon tumours in clinical practice. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for ICTs, but localisation of these lesions can be challenging. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical diagnosis and treatment for ICTs. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-one patients with ICTs who were diagnosed and who underwent surgical treatment in the affiliate hospital of Luzhou Medical College from 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2013 were enrolled. The clinical data of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among 31 patients (6 males, 25 females), 15 cases (48.39%) had non-functional ICTs and 16 (51.61%) cases were insulinoma: The mean age of patients with non-functional ICTs was 42.73 ± 12.34 years and of those with insulinoma was 48.88 ± 13 years. Non-functional ICTs had a non-specific presentation. Insulinoma makes different clinical presentations mostly with symptoms of hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative and/or intra-operative localisation is needed for ICTs; CT scan or MRI is used routinely as the first choice. If the lesion is very small, DSA is also good for localisation before operation. IOUS is a reliable technique in exactly localising insulinoma. ICTs are considered to be cured with successful surgical removal.

Management of Islet Cell Tumours: A Single Hospital Experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Islet cell tumours (ICTs) are uncommon tumours in clinical practice. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for ICTs, but localisation of these lesions can be challenging. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical diagnosis and treatment for ICTs. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with ICTs who were diagnosed and who underwent surgical treatment in the affiliate hospital of Luzhou Medical College from 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2013 were enrolled. The clinical data of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among 31 patients (6 males, 25 females), 15 cases (48.39%) had non-functional ICTs and 16 (51.61%) cases were insulinoma. The mean age of patients with non-functional ICTs was 42.73 ± 12.34 years and of those with insulinoma was 48.88 ± 13 years. Non-functional ICTs had a non-specific presentation. Insulinoma makes different clinical presentations mostly with symptoms of hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative and/or intra-operative localisation is needed for ICTs; CT scan or MRI is used routinely as the first choice. If the lesion is very small, DSA is also good for localisation before operation. IOUS is a reliable technique in exactly localising insulinoma. ICTs are considered to be cured with successful surgical removal.

[Diagnosis and treatment of 51 patients with pancreatic islet cell tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic islet cell tumors. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with islet cell tumors treated in our department from January 1991 to April 2011 were included in this study. The data of clinical features, diagnosis and treatment were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 51 cases, 38 cases showed typical Whipple's triad, and the other 13 cases were non-functional islet cell tumors. In these 13 cases, 5 patients had no specific clinical symptoms, and 8 patients had abdominal distending pain. The positive rates of imaging were: B-ultrasound 43.1%, multi-slice spiral CT 69.8%; MRI 62.5%, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) 64.7% (11/17), and intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) 96.3%, the differences among them were statistically significant (P<0.05). All patients underwent surgical treatment. Postoperative pancreatic leakage happened in 6 cases. Finally all the patients recovered after effective external drainage, anti-infection treatment and nutritional support. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) has a higher accuracy in the diagnosis of pancreatic islet cell tumors, compared with preoperative B-ultrasonography, CT, MRI, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). The most effective treatment of this disease is surgery.

Examining the accuracy and clinical usefulness of intraoperative frozen section analysis in the management of pancreatic lesions.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative frozen section analysis is often performed in the surgical management of pancreatic lesions. This test is used to obtain histologic diagnosis, to assess resectability because of unanticipated locoregional spread, and to ensure negative margins after resection. We sought to define the accuracy and clinical usefulness of intraoperative frozen section analysis in patients with pancreatic lesions and to determine the impact on long-term outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective database review was performed for all patients who underwent pancreatic resection at our institution from 2002 to 2011. Patient demographics, indications for frozen section analysis, final pathology, and long-term outcomes were analyzed. Five-year survival was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were identified (mean age 65 ± 14 years, 52% female). Malignancy was identified on final pathology in 38 (56%) patients. Intraoperative frozen section analysis was performed in 59 (87%) patients. Frozen section analysis was performed for histologic diagnosis in 6 (10%) cases, to determine resectability in 15 (25%) cases, and to evaluate margin status in 58 (98%) cases. Frozen section analysis for histologic diagnosis was associated with a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 50% with an overall accuracy of 83%. Frozen section analysis for the determination of resectability was associated with a sensitivity of 38%, specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 58% with an overall accuracy of 66%. Intraoperative frozen section analysis for the determination of the final margin status was associated with a sensitivity of 33%, specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 97% with an overall accuracy of 97%. There were no false-positive results on frozen section analysis. Errors on frozen section analysis interpretation did not negatively impact survival outcomes (mean survival = 2.2 years in those with concordant frozen section analysis vs 1.7 years in those with discordant frozen section analysis, P = .69). CONCLUSIONS: Although intraoperative frozen section analysis is helpful for ensuring negative final margins, its usefulness for obtaining histologic diagnosis and determining resectability is limited by low negative predictive potential. These results highlight the importance of preoperative staging and intraoperative surgical judgment for questionable resectable disease.

GLP-1 and glucagon secretion from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor causing diabetes and hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia.

CONTEXT: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut peptide that promotes insulin release from pancreatic ß-cells and stimulates ß-cell hyperplasia. GLP-1 secretion causing hypoglycemia has been described once from an ovarian neuroendocrine tumor (NET) but has not been reported from a pancreatic NET (pNET). OBJECTIVE: A 56-yr-old male with a previous diagnosis of diabetes presented with fasting hypoglycemia and was found to have a metastatic pNET secreting glucagon. Neither the primary tumor nor metastases stained for insulin, whereas the resected normal pancreas showed histological evidence of islet cell hyperplasia. We provide evidence that GLP-1 secretion from the tumor was the cause of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. METHODS: GLP-1 levels were determined in the patient, and immunohistochemistry for GLP-1 was performed on the tumor metastases. Ex vivo tissue culture and a bioassay constructed by transplantation of tumor into nude mice were performed to examine the tumor secretory products and their effects on islet cell function. RESULTS: The patient had high levels of glucagon and GLP-1 with an exaggerated GLP-1 response to oral glucose. Immunohistochemistry and primary tissue culture demonstrated secretion of glucagon and GLP-1 from the tumor metastases, whereas insulin secretion was almost undetectable. Ex vivo coculture of the tumor with normal human islets resulted in inhibition of insulin release, and transplanted mice developed impaired glucose tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of glucagon and GLP-1 secretion from a metastatic pNET causing sequential diabetes and hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia was caused by insulin secretion from hyperplastic ß-cells stimulated by tumor-derived GLP-1.

Early experience for the robotic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection.

BACKGROUND: The duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) has been accepted as a valid surgical alternative to more extensive standard resections for the treatment of benign and low malignant tumors at the head of the pancreas. In this article, a new minimally invasive operation, the robot-assisted laparoscopic technique, is introduced for this procedure. METHODS: From March 2010 to Dec 2010, four patients (three women and one man), with a mean age of 42.3 years (range: 21-62 years), underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic DPPHR at the Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgical Department of Rui Jin Hospital in Shanghai, China. The preoperative symptoms include two cases of repeated upper abdominal pain, one case with no obvious preoperative symptoms, and one case of repeated hypoglycemia. The da Vinci Surgical System was used to perform the main steps of the operation. All patients underwent a pancreaticogastrostomy for pancreaticoenteric reconstruction to the distal stump. RESULTS: All four surgeries were successfully performed. There were no deaths. The mean operative time was 298.8 (270-335) min, average blood loss was 425 ml (range: 100-600 ml). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 26.8 days (range: 20-30 days). The one patient with an islet cell tumor has had normal blood glucose levels since the operation, and the other three patients have had no hyperglycemia. Three of the patients developed a pancreatic fistula that was cured by conservative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The robotic surgical system is technically fully capable of performing the complex DPPHR procedure with an acceptable range of surgical complications. It breaks through the bottleneck of the traditional laparoscopic technology and expands the range of its applications. However, this new technology is still at an exploratory stage, and the long-term effect remains to be validated by additional clinical data.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: radiographic calcifications correlate with grade and metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Studies to identify preoperative prognostic variables for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) have been inconclusive. Specifically, the prevalence and prognostic significance of radiographic calcifications in these tumors remains unclear. METHODS: From 1998 to 2009, a total of 110 patients with well-differentiated PNET underwent surgical resection at our institution. Synchronous liver metastases present in 31 patients (28%) were addressed surgically with curative intent. Patients with high-grade PNET were excluded. The presence of calcifications in the primary tumor on preoperative computed tomography was recorded and correlated with clinicopathologic variables and overall survival. RESULTS: Calcifications were present in 16% of patients and were more common in gastrinomas and glucagonomas (50%), but never encountered in insulinomas. Calcified tumors were larger (median size 4.5 vs. 2.3 cm, P=0.04) and more commonly associated with lymph node metastasis (75 vs. 35%, P=0.01), synchronous liver metastasis (62 vs. 21%, P<0.01), and intermediate tumor grade (80 vs. 31%, P<0.01). On multivariate analysis of factors available preoperatively, calcifications (P=0.01) and size (P<0.01) remained independent predictors of lymph node metastasis. Overall survival after resection was significantly worse in the presence of synchronous liver metastasis (5-year, 64 vs. 86%, P=0.04), but not in the presence of radiographic calcifications. CONCLUSIONS: Calcifications on preoperative computed tomography correlate with intermediate grade and lymph node metastasis in well-differentiated PNET. This information is available preoperatively and supports the routine dissection of regional lymph nodes through formal pancreatectomy rather than enucleation in calcified PNET.

Tumor size correlates with malignancy in nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumor.

BACKGROUND: Tumor size is a criterion of staging in nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumors as well as a predictor of outcome after curative resection. This study analyzes the correlation between tumor size and malignancy in patients with nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumors. METHODS: All patients with nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumors who underwent curative resection (R0) at our institution between 1990 and 2008 were considered. Their clinicopathologic characteristics were compared among 3 different groups according to tumor size. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. RESULTS: Over the study period, 177 patients were identified. Overall, 90 patients (51%) had a tumor size ≤2 cm (group 1), 46 (26%) had tumor size between >2 cm and ≤4 cm (group 2), and 41 (23%) had tumor size >4 cm (group 3). Tumors ≤2 cm were more frequently incidentally discovered (group 1, 57% vs group 2, 51% vs group 3, 32%; P = .014) and benign (group 1, 81% vs group 2, 65% vs group 3, 5%; P < .0001). The presence of a nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumor >2 cm and a nonincidental diagnosis of the tumor were independent predictors of malignancy at multivariable analysis. None of the 51 patients (29%) with a pancreatic endocrine tumor ≤2 cm that was incidentally diagnosed died of disease. CONCLUSION: A strict correlation between tumor size and malignancy in nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumors was demonstrated. A nonoperative management could be advocated for tumors ≤2 cm when discovered incidentally.

[Clinical applications of laparoscopic pancreatectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the experiences of laparoscopic pancreatectomy and to discuss its clinical indications and operative techniques. METHODS: From March 2003 to February 2010, 49 patients with pancreatic diseases, including 18 males and 31 females with a mean age of (42 ± 14) years old (range: 21 - 77), underwent laparoscopy at our department. The preoperative diagnoses included insulinoma (n = 38), cystadenoma (n = 4), cystadenocarcinoma (n = 1), nonfunctional islet cell tumor (n = 5) and solid-pseudopapillary tumor (n = 1). RESULTS: Thirty-nine cases underwent total laparoscopic surgery and 8 cases converted to open surgery. The operative duration was (245 ± 146) minutes (range: 90 - 960). The mean intraoperative blood loss was (191 ± 306) ml (range: 20 - 1500). Secondary operations were needed in 3 cases and pancreatic fistula occurred in 7 cases. The postoperative hospital stay was (10 ± 7) days (range: 4 - 31). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic pancreatectomy is safe and feasible in the treatment of most benign pancreatic diseases and some malignant tumors.