Short- and long-term outcomes after minimally invasive spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with and without preservation of the splenic vessels: splenic vessel-preserving procedure is a "double-edged sword" in left-sided portal hypertension.

Background: Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) involves splenic vessel preservation (Kimura procedure) and splenic vessel resection (Warshaw procedure). This study evaluated the short- and long-term outcomes of the minimally invasive (MI) Kimura and Warshaw SPDP.

Methods: Medical records of 137 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo MI-SPDP (Kimura group, n = 72; Warshaw group, n = 65) between 2012 and 2024 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: The completion rate of the planned procedures was significantly lower in the Kimura group than in the Warshaw group (78% vs. 92%, P = 0.03). However, the patients experienced no major disadvantages due to procedural conversion. Most short-term outcomes were comparable between groups, with the exception of splenic infarction. The prevalence of radiological splenic infarction was significantly lower in the Kimura group than in the Warshaw group (5% vs. 38%, P < 0.01), although the splenic infarctions were clinically harmless. The incidence of perigastric and gastric intramural venous dilatation confirmed on computed tomography during follow-up was significantly lower in the Kimura group than in the Warshaw group (46% vs. 87%, P < 0.01; 21% vs. 39%, P = 0.04, respectively). The postoperative changes in splenic volume were significantly smaller in the Kimura group than in the Warshaw group (median, 17% vs. 28%, P = 0.04). However, 41% of patients in the Kimura group developed postoperative splenic venous stenosis during follow-up, most of whom had left-sided portal hypertension (LSPH), and postoperative splenic volume changes were significantly greater than those in patients who underwent the Warshaw procedure (median, 42% vs. 28%, P = 0.01).

Conclusions: In clinical practice, the short- and long-term outcomes of patients after both procedures were comparable. The Kimura procedure carries the potential risk of postoperative splenic venous stenosis during the follow-up period, which causes LSPH. Establishing the patient selection criteria and suitable surgical procedures to prevent splenic venous stenosis after the MI Kimura procedure is required.