Anesthetic management and perioperative outcome of healthy living pancreas donors

To elucidate the perioperative complications of patients who undergo hemipancreatectomy for living related donation, the charts and anesthetic records of 73 patients who underwent this operation were retrospectively reviewed. Intraoperative hypothermia (core temperature ≤36°C) occurred in 78% of patients. Atelectasis (34%) and pleural effusions (34%) were common, but usually required no special treatment. Also, 4 patients (5.5%) developed fluid collections around the pancreas that required percutaneous drainage, and 1 patient required a splenectomy for splenic infarction. There was no mortality. Hemipancreatomy for living related donation may be performed with low morbidity and mortality. Living related pancreas donation may be a means to help treat patients in whom cadaveric transplantation is not an option.