DIGESTIVE AND NUTRITIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF PANCREATIC RESECTIONS - THECLASSICAL VS THE PYLORUS-SPARING PROCEDURE

Digestive and nutritional alterations are a common occurrence after pa ncreatic resections. The authors report the results of a multiparametr ic evaluation performed in a group of 26 patients submitted to total o r cephalic pancreatectomy. Patients were divided into two groups accor ding to the surgical procedure; group A (n = 13) included gastroresect ed patients and group B (n = 13) included those submitted to pylorus-s paring pancreatic resection. Subclinical digestive and absorptive impa irment has been found in 61.5% of group A patients; the nutritional st atus was clinically poor in four cases from the same group. Digestive alterations have also been found in 69.2% of group B cases, but nutrit ional status was always satisfactory in the whole group. The more posi tive results obtained with the pylorus-sparing technique encourage wid er adoption of this procedure.