Background: Minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy (MIPD) has recently gained popularity. Several international meetings focusing on the existing literature on MIPD were held; however, the precise surgical anatomy of the pancreas for the safe use of MIPD has not yet been fully discussed. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of available articles and to show the importance of identifying the anatomical variation in pancreatoduodenectomy.
Methods: In this review, we described variations in surgical anatomy related to MIPD. A systematic search of PubMed (MEDLINE) was conducted, and the references were identified manually.
Results: The search strategy yielded 272 articles, with 77 retained for analysis. The important anatomy to be considered during MIPD includes the aberrant right hepatic artery, first jejunal vein, first jejunal artery, and dorsal pancreatic artery. Celiac artery stenosis and a circumportal pancreas are also important to recognize.
Conclusions: We conclude that only certain anatomical variations are associated directly with perioperative outcomes and that identification of these particular variations is important for safe performance of MIPD.
Keywords: anatomical variation; minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy; pancreatic resection; pancreatoduodenectomy; surgical anatomy.
© 2021 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.