Preservation of the pylorus in resection of the head of the pancreas

Whipple's pancreatoduodenectomy was the standard operation for diseases of the head of the pancreas for more than 40 years, but the results were vitiated in part by poor gastrointestinal function and malnutrition. Reintroduced in 1978, pylorus-preserving proximal pancreatoduodenectomy (PPPP) has had an increasing impact on pancreatic surgery as its benefits have been recognized: improved nutritional status, decreased incidence of postgastrectomy syndromes, and a technically easier operation. Postoperative mortality rates and 5-year survival rates are comparable with those of the classic Whipple procedure. PPPP is indicated for most patients with chronic pancreatitis of the pancreatic head. It is also appropriate for patients with periampullary cancer and for those with pancreatic cancer arising from the lower part of ‘the head and the uncinate process. More than 650 patients have now undergone PPPP: 31% for chronic pancreatitis and 66% for periampullary and pancreatic cancers. We assess the indications for PPPP, outline the operation, and review the results.