Superior mesenteric vein resection without reconstruction in pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer.

The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is poor, even in resectable patients. The reason for this poor prognosis is partly due to local invasion of the tumor into the tissues around the pancreas. Pancreatic head cancer usually invades the mesentericoportal veins, so the combined venous resection is usually performed during pancreatoduodenectomy for the purpose of obtaining a negative surgical margin. We performed pancreatoduodenectomy for lower pancreatic head cancer together with superior mesenteric vein resection without reconstruction in two patients, after confirming adequate portal venous flow and small intestinal congestion. This is the first report of pancreatoduodenectomy combined with superior mesenteric vein resection without reconstruction for the purpose of obtaining a wide surgical margin.