Clinical Research Directory

The Effect of Braun Anastomosis on Delayed Gastric Emptying (DGE) in Reconstruction After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the only curative procedure for periampullary malignant tumors. Although modern perioperative management has greatly reduced postoperative mortality, delayed gastric emptying (DGE) remains one of the most common and troublesome complications after PD, with an incidence up to 30%. DGE leads to abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, intolerance of oral diet, prolonged hospital stay, increased medical costs, delayed adjuvant therapy initiation, and impaired long-term nutritional recovery and quality of life. Braun anastomosis (BE) can reconstruct the gastrointestinal tract by side-to-side jejunojejunostomy between the afferent and efferent limbs, which may reduce intestinal stasis, bile reflux and afferent limb obstruction, and theoretically lower the risk of postoperative DGE. However, current clinical studies and meta-analyses remain controversial regarding the actual efficacy of BE in preventing DGE after PD. Some studies support that BE can reduce DGE incidence, shorten hospitalization and improve postoperative recovery, while others demonstrate no statistically significant benefit, or even concern about prolonged operative time and technical difficulty. Existing evidence is limited by small sample size, retrospective design and potential selection bias, and high-quality prospective randomized controlled trials are still lacking to confirm the clinical value of BE. This study is designed as a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial, aiming to evaluate the impact of routine Braun anastomosis during digestive tract reconstruction on the incidence and severity of postoperative DGE in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignant tumors. The results will provide high-level clinical evidence for the rational application of Braun anastomosis in PD reconstruction and guide standardized clinical practice.

Neoadjuvant vs Upfront Surgery for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer and Periampullary Cancer

Adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery significantly improved the survival of pancreatic cancer (PC) patients, but there is a problem that only about 50% of patients start adjuvant chemotherapy after pancreatectomy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy might control potential metastatic lesions which are not being detected in early disease status and improve the R0 resection rate. In addition, it prevents futile surgery by selecting patients with rapid progression of disease. Furthermore, compared to chemotherapy administered after surgery, more patients can complete the planned chemotherapy schedule in neoadjuvant setting. There are still few studies worldwide that prospectively explored the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in resectable PC and periampullary cancer and the administration of neoadjuvant therapy in resectable PC depends on individual clinical judgment. Therefore, systematic and prospective clinical trials are essential to standardize treatment protocol in resectable PC and periampullary Cancer. This randomized controlled trial compares neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery versus upfront surgery for patients with clearly resectable pancreatic head cancer and periampullary cancer. The study aims to determine if neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival compared to immediate surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.