Canadian Family Travels to China for 10-Year-Old Daughter’s Rare Pancreatic Tumor Surgery

A Rare Pancreatic Tumor in a 10-Year-Old Girl

Kevin (name as reported by the hospital) is a Chinese-Canadian physician who had practiced medicine in Vancouver for approximately 20 years.

His family’s medical journey began after his 10-year-old daughter was unexpectedly diagnosed with a large solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is an uncommon pancreatic tumor that occurs predominantly in younger females.

In this case, the size and location of the tumor made surgery particularly challenging.

According to Ruijin Hospital’s account, the tumor was closely associated with the blood vessels supplying the spleen.

This raised an important question for the family:

Could the pancreatic tumor be removed while preserving the spleen?

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Seeking Medical Opinions in Canada and Internationally

As a physician himself, Kevin had access to medical resources and professional networks in Canada.

The family sought opinions from major medical institutions, including BC Children’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital, and also consulted specialists in other countries, including the United States and Japan.

According to the case published by Ruijin Hospital, the treatment approaches discussed with the family generally involved removal of the pancreatic tumor together with the spleen.

The concern was the close relationship between the tumor and the splenic vessels.

Attempting to separate a large tumor from these vessels can increase surgical complexity and potentially create significant bleeding or other complications.

Removal of the spleen together with the affected portion of the pancreas can therefore be an established surgical approach in appropriate cases.

However, because their daughter was only 10 years old, Kevin and his wife wanted to investigate whether an organ-preserving surgical approach might be possible.

They continued searching internationally.

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The Family Discovered a Different Surgical Possibility in Shanghai

During their research, the family came across the experience of another patient with a similar condition who had received treatment at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai.

They learned that the hospital’s pancreatic surgery team used robotic-assisted minimally invasive techniques in complex pancreatic procedures.

Kevin subsequently contacted Dr. Jin Jiabin from Ruijin Hospital’s Department of Pancreatic Surgery through an online platform.

Rather than immediately travelling to China, the family first provided the medical team with the child’s existing CT imaging from Canada.

This allowed the surgical team in Shanghai to conduct an initial review of the case.

According to Ruijin Hospital, the team believed robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery could potentially allow the tumor to be removed while providing an opportunity to preserve the spleen.

For the family, this represented an option they wanted to explore further.

They subsequently travelled from Canada to Shanghai.

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Robotic-Assisted Pancreatic Surgery in Shanghai

The child was admitted to the international department of Ruijin Hospital’s pancreatic surgery service.

On January 10, she underwent surgery.

According to the hospital’s report, the surgical team used a robotic-assisted approach to carefully separate the pancreatic tumor from the closely associated splenic blood vessels.

Small vascular branches were repaired during the procedure.

The hospital reported that the team was ultimately able to:

remove the pancreatic tumor while preserving the spleen.

The child subsequently recovered and was discharged from hospital.

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Why Was Preserving the Spleen Important to the Family?

The spleen plays several roles in the immune system, including helping the body respond to certain infections.

People can live without a spleen, and splenectomy is an established and sometimes necessary surgical procedure.

However, when clinically appropriate and technically feasible, organ-preserving surgery may be considered in selected patients.

In this case, the child’s parents placed particular importance on exploring whether spleen preservation was possible because of her young age.

That does not mean spleen-preserving surgery is necessarily safer or more appropriate for every patient with a pancreatic tumor.

The appropriate surgical approach depends on factors such as:

• Tumor location and size

• Relationship with surrounding blood vessels

• Tumor pathology

• Individual anatomy

• Surgical risk

• The patient’s overall condition

• The experience of the surgical team

In some cases, removal of the spleen may still be medically necessary.

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The Role of Robotic Surgery

Robotic-assisted surgery can provide surgeons with highly controlled instruments and enhanced visualization during certain minimally invasive procedures.

For complex pancreatic surgery, these capabilities may be useful when operating around delicate anatomical structures and blood vessels.

However, the use of robotic technology itself does not guarantee a better result.

The appropriateness of robotic, laparoscopic or open surgery depends on the individual case and the experience of the surgical team.

For international patients considering complex surgery, it can therefore be useful to investigate not simply whether a hospital owns a robotic surgical system, but whether the relevant surgical team has substantial experience using it for the specific operation required.

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What Can International Patients Learn From This Case?

1. A second opinion can be about surgical strategy, not just diagnosis

The child had already received a diagnosis.

The family’s question was not primarily:

“What disease does she have?”

It was:

“Is there another way to perform the surgery?”

This is an important distinction.

International second opinions can sometimes be valuable when patients are trying to understand whether different surgical approaches or treatment strategies may be available.

A different opinion does not necessarily mean that the original recommendation was incorrect.

Different surgical teams may reach different conclusions based on their experience, assessment of risk, available technology and interpretation of an individual case.

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2. Existing imaging may sometimes be reviewed before international travel

One particularly relevant aspect of this case was that the family did not initially travel to Shanghai simply to ask whether treatment might be possible.

They first sent the child’s existing CT imaging from Canada for review.

Only after receiving an initial assessment did they decide to travel to China.

For international patients considering complex treatment, this can potentially reduce unnecessary travel.

Depending on the hospital and specialist, existing materials such as:

• CT or MRI imaging

• Pathology reports

• Laboratory results

• Surgical history

• Previous treatment records

may help a medical team conduct an initial assessment before the patient travels.

Whether remote case review is available depends on the individual hospital and physician.

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3. For rare conditions, search for the specific medical team

This case also demonstrates why international patients with uncommon or technically complex conditions may benefit from looking beyond general hospital rankings.

Instead of simply searching for:

Best hospital in China

it may be more useful to investigate:

Which team has significant experience treating my specific condition?

For complex pancreatic surgery, for example, the experience of the pancreatic surgical team may matter more than the overall reputation of the hospital.

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Pancreatic Tumor Treatment in China for International Patients

China has major tertiary medical centers with specialist teams treating complex pancreatic diseases and performing minimally invasive and robotic pancreatic surgery.

However, the appropriate hospital depends heavily on the patient’s diagnosis and individual circumstances.

International patients seeking an evaluation for a pancreatic tumor may be asked to prepare:

• CT and/or MRI imaging

• Imaging reports

• Pathology results, if available

• Blood test results

• Previous medical records

• Current medications

• Details of previous treatment or surgery

For complex cases, providing complete medical records can help the receiving team better understand the patient’s condition before determining what further evaluation may be necessary.

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Important Medical Disclaimer

This article describes an individual patient case as reported by the treating hospital.

The outcome described here does not mean that spleen-preserving surgery is possible, appropriate or preferable for every patient with a pancreatic tumor.

Treatment and surgical decisions must be made by qualified medical professionals after reviewing the individual patient’s diagnosis, imaging, anatomy and overall medical condition.

Robotic-assisted surgery also carries potential risks and is not appropriate for every patient.

This article is independently summarized and adapted from a patient story published by Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. China MedCare was not involved in the patient’s diagnosis, treatment or care.