Pancreatoduodenectomy in abdominal trauma: a viable alternative

Pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in five patients with severe pancreatoduodenal trauma following vehicular accidents. Three of them presented within five hours of injury and two patients, four and ten days later. Surgery was performed within 6-12 hours of hospitalization. All patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy; in one the pancreatic stump was closed completely owing to its friability. Three patients survived; two succumbed to ongoing preoperative septicemia due to late presentation. The results of pancreato-duodenectomy are good when patients are operated on early, before the development of sepsis.