Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy in Benign or Premalignant Pancreatic Lesions: Is It Really More Cost-Effective than Open Approach?

Background Data regarding the quality of life in patients undergoing laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy are lacking and no studies have reported a real cost-effectiveness analysis of this surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality of life and the cost-effectiveness of a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with respect to an open distal pancreatectomy. Methods Forty-one patients who underwent a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and 40 patients who underwent an open distal pancreatectomy were retrospectively studied as regards postoperative results, quality of life and cost-effectiveness analysis. The Italian neutral version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire C-30, version 3.0, was used to rate the quality of life. Results Postoperative results were similar in the two groups; the only difference was that the first oral intake took place significantly earlier in the laparoscopic group than in the open group ( P