Preoperative Glucagon‐Like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonist Treatment to Allow Safe Laparoscopic Left Pancreatectomy in Extreme Obesity: The First Report

Obesity is a challenging condition for pancreatic surgery, and some authors recommend delaying pancreatic resection for non-malignant pancreatic tumors in obese patients. We present a case of a 45-year-old woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 56 who was surgically treated in our department for a mucinous cystadenoma discovered during preoperative work-up for bariatric surgery. To decrease the risk involved in pancreatic surgery, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist was administered for 6 months, which led to a weight loss of 20 kg and a BMI of 48 at the time of surgery. A laparoscopic left splenopancreatectomy was performed within 7 months of the diagnosis. The postoperative length of stay was 19 days. Pathology confirmed that the tumor was mucinous cystadenoma with mild dysplasia. As of 17 months later, the patient is doing well and has lost an additional 10 kg.