Pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma

Traditionally, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with regional vascular involvement was thought to represent unresectable disease and was associated with disease progression and death within 1 year of diagnosis. Recent evidence demonstrates that pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection and reconstruction can be safely performed in select patients with 5-year survival rates as high as 20%. In order to safely treat and to optimize survival in these complex patients, it is essential to accurately identify vascular involvement preoperatively, to utilize a multidisciplinary treatment approach, and to emphasize meticulous surgical technique with awareness of the critical margins of resection.