Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy in Italy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) increased in the past twenty years but the real diffusion of this technique is still unknown as well as the type of centers (high or low volume) in which this procedure is more frequently performed. DATA SOURCE: A systematic review was performed to evaluate the frequency of LDP in Italy and to compare indications and results in high volume centers (HVCs) and in low volume centers (LVCs). RESULTS: From 95 potentially relevant citations identified, only 5 studies were included. A total of 125 subjects were analyzed, of whom 95 (76.0%) were from HVCs and 30 (24.0%) from LVCs. The mean number of LDPs performed per year was 6.5. The…