A patient with pancreatic cancer died during surgery. According to the doctors, preoperative imaging showed no obvious signs of spread, but significant dissemination was discovered once the abdomen was opened.
Death during the surgical procedure.
Preoperative imaging revealed pancreatic duct dilatation, which should have prompted caution against proceeding directly to surgery. Pancreatic duct dilatation is often a surface sign indicating that the lesion may be more extensive. Additional investigations should have been performed. However, more tests often lead to ruling out surgical suitability, which means the surgical team would not secure the case. Other options include MRCP/EUS or laparoscopic exploration.
If the patient had maintained contact with this website while seeking medical care before the operation, the sign of pancreatic duct dilatation would never have been overlooked. In that case, the death would not have occurred.