[Preservation of the pylorus in duodenocephalopancreatectomy in pancreatic and periampullary carcinoma]

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate whether the pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (PPPD) is as safe as the standard Whipple's procedure (PD) in the treatment of pancreatic and periampullary cancer. Between January 1980 and December 1993, 473 patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas or periampullary region were admitted to the Department of General Surgery of Pisa University Hospital. 201 of these patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (115 ductal carcinoma, 61 periampullary cancer, 25 other neoplasms). In each group patients received a PPPD or a PD (ductal carcinoma 76 PPPD and 33 PD; periampullary cancer 46 PPPD and 15 PD). Overall, postoperative mortality rate for PPPD was 7.5% and for PD 8.9%, decreasing in the last 6 years to 3.2% (3 out of 92 consecutive cases). Variables examined were age, sex, T and N status, tumour stage, histological grade, residual tumour, cancer recurrence, death from recurrence and survival time. No patient was treated with antiblastic therapy. Survival times were estimated for both PPPD and PD using the Kaplan-Meier method and thereafter compared with each other using the Breslow and Mantel-Cox test. The 5-year survival rate in PPPD was 12.3% and 63.01% for ductal and periampullary carcinoma respectively. Survival time was not statistically different between PPPD and PD for both ductal and periampullary cancer. As regards pancreatic cancer, the presence of lymph node metastasis appeared to be a poor prognostic factor, even though it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.075). In conclusion PPPD may be considered a valid surgical option even when dealing with pancreatic or periampullary cancer.