Pancreatoduodenal resection and total pnacreatectomy--an institutional review

Between 1940 and 1978, 150 major pancreatic resections--92 pancreatoduodenal resections (PDRs) and 58 total pancreatectomies (TPs)--were performed for benign and malignant disease. The majority of resections were for pancreatic cancer (70 patients) and ampullary cancer (40 patients). The overall operative mortality rate for PDR was 14%; it was 26% for TP. After resection for adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas, the operative mortality rate was 28% for TP and 15% for PDR. The number of 5-year survivors after resection for cancer of the head of the pancreas was four (5.7%). Three survived after PDR and one after TP. Of the 42 adenocarcinomas resected by TP, one of the patients had multicentric cancer and two others had carcinoma in situ. TP appears to have no advantage over PDR for cancers of the head of the pancreas from a theoretical or practical standpoint.