Gastroduodenal Artery Reconstruction as Salvage Procedure for Pancreas Head Ischemia during Transplantation: A Case Report

Vascularization of the pancreatic allograft depends on the mesenteric and celiac arteries. During procurement inadvertent sectioning of the branches to the head of the pancreas can lead to ischemia and generally there is a need to remove the graft during the same transplant procedure. Knowledge of several unconventional revascularization techniques in the back table and other salvage procedures after reperfusion can be useful in deciding the fate of the graft once ischemia is established immediately after engraftment. We present a case of revascularization of the gastroduodenal artery after reperfusion of the pancreas to improve blood flow to the head of the pancreas that was ischemia after restoring circulation.