Protease Inhibitors Could Prevent Bleeding After Pancreatic Surgery

Enzymatic interactions from pancreatic juice cause critical vascular damage post-surgery, leading to severe hemorrhage. A study on porcine models reveals that trypsin and chymotrypsin significantly weaken arterial walls when mixed with intestinal fluids. However, administering nafamostat mesylate, a protease inhibitor, effectively mitigates this histopathologic damage. This finding underscores the potential for localized delivery of inhibitors around vascular stumps to reduce life-threatening complications following pancreatoduodenectomy.