Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery · 7 authors, 5 centres
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This systematic review evaluated the use of continuous irrigation after elective pancreatic surgery to prevent or treat postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). It found that the included studies showed promising results for both prophylactic and therapeutic use, but emphasized the need for further investigation.
This systematic review searched four databases according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, identifying nine eligible studies for descriptive synthesis due to heterogeneity. Three studies on prophylactic use after distal and limited pancreatectomies reported lower rates of clinically relevant POPF, related complications, hospital stay, and mortality. Six studies on therapeutic use described successful outcomes for treating clinically relevant POPF with techniques like continuous local lavage, enclosed passive lavage, or irrigation combined with drainage. The review concludes that continuous irrigation shows promise, particularly in high-risk patients, but highlights the current literature is limited and calls for future randomized trials.
