Long-term Outcomes of Surgical Management of Insulinoma: Single Center Experience

Objective: Limited data are available in regards to the surgical management and outcomes of insulinoma. This study aimed to assess the outcomes associated with surgical treatment of insulinoma, as the most common pancreatic endocrine tumor. Methods: Medical records of patients who diagnosed as insulinoma from 2000 to 2010 at General Surgery Department of Cukurova University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical treatment (resection vs. enucleation) was based on preoperative radiological investigations (abdominal spiral contrast tomography, ultrasound, selective angiography for selected cases) and intra-operative ultrasound imaging once indicated. Results: Surgically treated thirteen patients (F/M:9/4) who diagnosed with insulinoma were assessed with a mean follow-up of 5.3 (0.5-10) years. Enucleation and distal pancreatectomywere performed for 11 and 2 (one of those is spleen-preserving) patients, respectively. No mortality was recorded. All patients became normoglycemic after surgery without re-operation and with acceptable complication rates (n=3 pancreatic fistula, n=1 pancreatitis). Conclusion: Surgical treatment of insulinoma is associated with favorable outcomes.Intra-operative ultrasound with manual palpation is still the gold standard for localizing insulinoma. Location, size and relationship with main pancreatic duct of the lesions are key components for the selection of optimal surgical procedure