One Thousand Consecutive Pancreaticoduodenectomies

To trace the evolution of pancreaticoduodenectomy from the decade of the 1960s through the first decade of the new Millenium, through the experience of one surgeon doing 1000 consecutive operations. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: A regional resection of the head of the pancreas was first performed successfully by Kausch in 1909. The operation was popularized by Whipple in 1935, who reported 3 pancreaticoduodenectomies. Because of a hospital mortality of approximately 25%, the operation was performed infrequently until the 1980s. From the 1980s on, experience with this complex alimentary tract operation increased, and high-volume centers developed. This resulted in a significant drop in hospital mortality and allowed institutions and individuals to gain large experiences.

Between March 1969 and May 2003, 1000 consecutive pancreaticoduodenectomies were performed by a single surgeon. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed to determine the management and outcome of these patients, as well as to document the evolution of this operative procedure over 5 decades.