Single-loop biliary and gastric bypass for irresectable pancreatic carcinoma

Twenty-five patients with irresectable carcinoma of the pancreatic head received a modified type of palliative bypass in which the transected bile duct and the gastric antrum were anastomosed to the same Roux loop of jejunum. There were 13 women and 12 men with a median age of 54 (range 35-74) years. All but three patients were jaundiced and 11 underwent preoperative biliary decompression. In 18 patients jaundiced at the time of operation, the median preoperative serum bilirubin level was 287 (range 57-804) mumol/l. The median operative time was 4.0 (range 2.5-6.0) h. There were no hospital deaths. Minor postoperative complications occurred in nine patients and the median hospital stay after operation was 13 (range 7-49) days. The median postoperative survival was 4.8 (range 1.5-11.5) months. This operation provides good palliation safely in selected patients with irresectable pancreatic carcinoma.