Balancing surgical innovation with cost and efficiency.

The standard approach to neoplasia of the pancreatic head is pancreaticoduodenectomy, otherwise known as the Whipple procedure. Traditionally, this operation is performed through an open laparotomy incision. In high-volume centres, and when performed by appropriately qualified surgeons, the Whipple procedure is safe and effective management for diseases of the pancreatic head. Still, this operation remains one of the most complex abdominal procedures. With the proliferation of minimally invasive surgery, more complex operations are being performed using laparoscopy and other minimal access techniques. A group from McGill University and the Montreal Jewish General Hospital have prospectively evaluated their experience with minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy and have compared this experience to the open approach. This is the first comparative series of its kind from Canada.