Enteric reconstruction of pancreatic stump following pancreaticoduodenectomy: A review of the literature

•We review different techniques of enteric reconstruction of pancreatic stump following pancreaticoduodenectomy.•We summarize the advantages and disadvantages of various methods.•We assess their roles and effectiveness.

Techniques for reconstruction of pancreatic stump with gastrointestinal tract following pancreaticoduodenectomy are closely related to postoperative complications, mortality and quality of life. In order to reduce postoperative complications, particularly pancreatic fistula, many modifications and new surgical techniques have been proposed to replace the traditional pancreaticojejunostomy and pancreaticogastrostomy. The objective of this review, based on large prospective randomized trials and meta-analyses, is to evaluate the different techniques of enteric reconstruction of pancreatic stump following pancreaticoduodenectomy, including: invagination pancreaticojejunostomy, binding pancreaticojejunostomy, duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy, Roux-en-Y pancreaticojejunostomy, and pancreaticogastrostomy, so as to provide a comprehensive comparison of these techniques and to assess of their roles and effectiveness.