WHIPPLE PROCEDURE - IS IT JUSTIFIED

Debate continues as to the appropriateness of the Whipple procedure. T his retrospective review confirms that it is a worthwhile operation wh en done by experienced surgeons on suitable patients, Meticulous intra -operative technique must be followed by judicious postoperative care. In this series of 27 Whipple operations major morbidity occurred in 2 6% of cases. Leakage from the pancreatic anastomosis was infrequent (1 1%). Various anastomotic techniques were used. depending on the findin gs at operation. There were no peri-operative deaths and five-year act uarial survival is 63%.