[Cephalic duodenopancreatectomy with pylorus preservation. An experience of 52 surgically-treated cases].

From february, 1985, to december, 1990, we carried out 52 pylorus preserving duodenopancreatecomies (41 times for cancerous lesions, 11 times for chronic pancreatitits). Our current observations suggest that PPDP is better than the conventional Whipple's procedure as far as nutrition and digestion are concerned, this being confirmed by digestive and endocrine functional tests. The procedure also has the advantage of being confined to the supramesocolic level, thus being less traumatising and more rapidly carried out. Postoperative nutrition and digestion are less disturbed, owing to the conservation of the gastroduodenal functional entity. The endocrine potential of the pancreas seems also to benefit from this procedure.