To evaluate the clinical efficacy of postoperative prophylactic infusion of fresh frozen plasma in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

A retrospective analysis was performed on 112 patients with pancreatic malignancies treated by PD at the Third Xiangya Hospital from January 2015 to February 2018. According to whether postoperative 6 h prophylactic infusion of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was administered or not, the patients were divided into either a control group (n=65 cases) or on FFP group (n=47 cases). The 3-day average vital signs, coagulation parameters, 72-hour postoperative wound drainage, time to anal exhaust, time to first intake, time to postoperative drainage tube removal, postoperative hospital stay, perioperative cost and surgery were compared between the two groups. The incidence of postoperative complications was also compared.

The serum albumin concentration of patients in the FFP group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(36.7±1.4) g/L vs (33.2±1.0) g/L, t=15.109, P<0.001], while the 72-hour postoperative wound drainage, time to postoperative drainage tube removal time, postoperative hospital stay, perioperative cost, and total complication rate were all smaller than those in the control group [(131.1±54.6) mlvs (212.0 ±67.8) ml, t=-6.749, P<0.001; (6.0±1.3) dvs (9.0±1.6) d, t=-10.81, P<0.001; (14.1±1.8) dvs (18.9±3.6) d, t=-9.334, P<0.001; (89 531.0±7789.4) yuanvs (105 743.3±7440.8) yuan, t=-11.16, P<0.001); 10.6% (5/47)vs 36.9% (24/65), χ²=9.821, P=0.002]. There were no perioperative deaths between in either group. There was no blood transfusion-related complications occurred in the plasma group.

Prophylactic infusion of FFP in patients undergoing PD has the advantages of less postoperative bleeding, faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, reduced hospitalization costs, and reduced incidence of complications.

Fresh frozen plasma; Pancreatic malignancie; Pancreaticoduodenectomy