Pancreatic resection additional to gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Effect on postoperative morbidity.

In a 7-year period, 127 patients were treated for gastric carcinoma. Of those younger than 70 years and subjected to gastric resection, 30 (55%) also had pancreatic resection. In older patients the corresponding figure was 11 (28%). The patients with simultaneous pancreatic resection had significantly increased incidence of postoperative intraabdominal complications, the most frequent of which were of septic nature. The number of reoperations was higher and the hospital stay longer in the patients with simultaneous gastrectomy and pancreatic resection.