BLEEDING OF THE PANCREATIC STUMP FOLLOWING PANCREATICODUODENECTOMY FOR CANCER

Background/Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the charact eristics of bleeding of the pancreatic stump after pancreatoduodenal r esection with pancreato-jejunal anastomosis. Patients and Methods: Bet ween February 1970 and December 1990, 223 patients underwent a Whipple resection for cancer. Results: Twenty patients (9%) had post-operativ e hemorrhage. In. 10 patients bleeding arose within the operative fiel d and in the 10 later within the gastrointestinal tract. Sia patients bled from the gastroenterostomy and 4 (1,7%) from the pancreatic cut s urface. In. all four severity of the hemorrhage required urgent relapa rotomy. Conclusions: Diagnosis and hemostasis could be achieved throug h a jejunostomy near the pancreatic anastomosis. Two patients had panc reatic fistula, one of them died.