Total pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer: indications and operative technique

Total pancreatectomy (TP) was abandoned by many surgeons because of its lack of benefits and other major drawbacks. The potential benefits of TP, including its oncological as well as its technical advantages, did not prove to be valid. Problems associated with insulin-deprived diabetes mellitus and high perioperative morbidity and mortality rates were not easily manageable. However, in the new era of pancreatic surgery, new indications for TP have been defined. These have been paralleled by improvements in surgical technique, multidisciplinary management and postoperative intensive care. These factors have transformed TP into a safe and reasonable surgical procedure with excellent perioperative morbidity and mortality, as well as good longterm outcome. We review the indications for TP and describe our operative technique in detail.