Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with preservation of the splenic vessels

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) was first described 25 years ago and is now a widely accepted procedure for benign, borderline, malignant, and traumatic alterations of the pancreas. With similar oncologic results and morbidity rates as for open surgery, LDP yields reduced intraoperative blood loss and shorter length of stay. Depending on indications and intrabdominal status, LDP can be performed either with or without splenic preservation. In this article we describe our approach for spleen-preserving LDP as performed in the case of a 21-year-old woman presenting with a large cyst in the pancreatic tail.