Periampullary Neoplasms

This is a single-center, prospective, single-arm study evaluating the safety and feasibility of total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) in carefully selected adult patients with periampullary neoplasms who are considered at high risk for postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Eligible patients will undergo open or robotic TPIAT as part of the patient's surgical management. Perioperative outcomes, postoperative complications, metabolic outcomes, and early oncologic outcomes will be collected prospectively as part of routine clinical care and analyzed to assess the safety and feasibility of this approach.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a complex surgical procedure commonly performed for tumors of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. Many patients present with obstructive jaundice and undergo preoperative percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage (PTCD) to relieve biliary obstruction. However, there is currently no consensus on whether the PTCD catheter should be removed or retained during surgery. This multicenter, prospective randomized controlled trial aims to compare two intraoperative strategies: removal versus retention of the PTCD catheter during PD. Participants will be randomly assigned to either group. The study will evaluate whether these different approaches influence postoperative outcomes, particularly major complications such as bile leak and severe postoperative morbidity within 90 days after surgery. In addition to complications, the study will assess recovery after surgery, including return of gastrointestinal function, length of hospital stay, and quality of recovery, as well as laboratory indicators of liver function and inflammation. The results of this study are expected to provide evidence to guide surgical decision-making regarding PTCD management during PD and to improve patient outcomes.

The GENTLENESS study is a prospective, multicenter, observational registry designed to evaluate the endoscopic management of patients with suspected biliopancreatic and periampullary neoplastic diseases within the Pancreas Units network of the Lombardy Region. Patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for suspected pancreatic or periampullary malignancies, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, cystic pancreatic neoplasms requiring endoscopic, surgical, or oncological management, and periampullary tumors of the distal bile duct, ampulla, or duodenum, will be prospectively enrolled according to standard clinical practice. The study aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-guided tissue acquisition, procedural safety, the need for repeat sampling, and organizational performance indicators, including time to definitive cyto-histological diagnosis and time to initiation of disease-specific treatment. No additional procedures beyond routine clinical care will be performed as a result of study participation.