Duodenum-preserving resection of the head of the pancreas in patients with severe chronic pancreatitis.

A duodenum-preserving resection of the head of the pancreas was carried out in 57 patients with chronic pancreatitis and a benign tumorous enlargement of the head of the pancreas. The resected tissue showed a diameter of more than 5 cm in 64% of the patients. The postoperative mortality rate was 1.8%. The postoperative hospitalization period was 19 days (median). In a follow-up period of 2.0 years (median) with a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 10.5 years, the late mortality rate was 3.6%. Of the patients, 85.7% are completely rehabilitated occupationally. In contrast to the Whipple procedure, the duodenum-preserving resection of the head of the pancreas preserves stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and extrahepatic bile ducts in an advantageous way. The subtotal resection of the head of the pancreas decompresses the common bile duct without disturbance of the blood flow to the duodenum.