PANCREATIC RESECTION FOR PERIAMPULLARY CANCER IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Background/Aims: Major abdominal surgery in elderly patients has tradi tionally been thought to carry a high operative risk. Recent data, how ever have suggested that with proper selection, elderly patients can w ithstand pancreatic resection. Methodology: The medical records of 102 patients who underwent pancreatic resection for pancreatic or periamp ullary tumors were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-nine patients were aged 70 years or older (mean age: 74 years) and 73 patients were youn ger (mean age: 56 years). Concomitant comorbid conditions were evaluat ed in the patients of both groups, and no significant differences were identified. A pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 81 cases and a total pancreatectomy in. 21. Results: The operative mortality rate wa s 0% in the older patients and 6.8% in the younger patients. Major com plications occurred in. 28% of-the patients. There were no significant differences in morbidity among the true age groups. The overall actua rial survival curves showed similar trends in both groups. Conclusions : With appropriate preoperative selection, pancreatic resection can be performed with low operative risk in elderly patients. Chronological age alone should not be considered an absolute contraindication for pa ncreatic resection.