Impact of soft pancreas on pancreaticoduodenectomy outcomes and the development of the preoperative soft pancreas risk score.

Backgrounds/aims: Pancreatic texture is difficult to predict without palpation. Soft pancreatic texture is associated with increased post-operative complications, including postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), cardiac, and respiratory complications. We aimed to develop a calculator predicting pancreatic texture using patient factors and to illustrate complications from soft pancreatic texture following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Methods: Data was collected from the 2016 to 2021 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database including 17,706 pancreaticoduodenectomy cases. Patients were categorized into two cohorts based on pancreatic texture (9,686 hard, 8,020 soft). Multivariable modeling assessed the impact of patient factors on complications, mortality, and pancreatic texture. These preoperative factors were integrated into a risk calculator (preoperative soft pancreas risk score [PSPRS]) that predicts pancreatic texture.

Results: Patients with a soft pancreas had higher rates of postoperative complications compared to those with a hard pancreas (56.5% vs 42.2%; p < 0.001), particularly a threefold increase in POPF rate, and at least a twofold increase in rates of acute kidney injury, deep organ space infection, septic shock, and prolonged length of stay. Female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 1.14, confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.22, p < 0.001) and higher body mass index (OR: 1.12, CI: 1.09-1.16, p < 0.001) were independently associated with a soft pancreas. PSPRS ≥6 correctly identified >40% of patients preoperatively as having a hard pancreas (68.9% specificity).

Conclusions: A soft pancreas was independently associated with serious postoperative complications. Our results were integrated into a risk calculator predicting pancreatic texture from preoperative patient factors, potentially enhancing preoperative counseling and surgical decision-making.