Abstract

Postoperative pseudoaneurysm formation is one of the most feared complications of pancreatic leak following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Surgical repair may be compromised due to a persistent enzymatic insult on the repaired vessel; therefore, preventive measures should be adopted. We report a case of ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm occurring 12 days following PD in a patient with a postoperative pancreatic fistula. Emergency surgery revealed that the pseudoaneurysm was situated at the point of surgical transfixation of the gastroduodenal artery. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully managed by under-running of the bleeding point combined with the direct application of hemostatic products to the bleeding surface (TachoSil^TM and Tisseel^TM to act as a barrier from the pancreatic secretions.