Novel way for prevention of pancreatic surgery complication reported

Pancreatic fistulae, or ducts that grow from the pancreas to nearby organs such as the colon, are a frequent complication after pancreatic surgery. Studies have shown that the risk of pancreatic fistulae after surgery is as high as 50%. These fistulae cause a leakage of pancreatic fluid, which can then accumulate near the pancreas and form an abscess, become severely infected, and—in severe cases—lead to death. Repairing these fistulae is also a prolonged and complex process. They say prevention is better than cure, but despite multiple attempts, there are currently no effective prevention methods for pancreatic fistulae.

In a recent study, a team of scientists—including Professor Takehisa Hanawa, Dr. Yayoi Kawano and Mr. Hiroshi Mamada from Tokyo University of Science, as well as Dr. Akira Kemmochi and Dr. Takafumi Tamura from the University of Tsukuba—have developed a novel hydrogel that can prevent the formation of these postoperative pancreatic fistulae. The study was published in Polymers for Advanced Technologies.

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Novel way to prevent complication after pancreatic surgery, shows new study