Background: It has been suggested that pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD) is associated with a high incidence of delayed gastric emptying and consequently with a prolonged hospital stay compared with standard Whipple's resection. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate whether the incidence of delayed postoperative gastric emptying was different after both procedures.
Study design: From 1989 to 1996, 200 consecutive patients underwent pancreatic head resection (100 standard pancreaticoduodenectomy [PD]; 100 PPPD). The groups were compared with regard to patient characteristics, operative indices, postoperative morbidity, hospital stay, and mortality. Delayed gastric emptying was defined as nasogastric suction for > or = 10 days or delay of regular diet until > 14 days postoperatively.
Results: Operative time and blood loss were higher for PD: 6 versus 4.8 hours (p < 0.0001) and 1,580 versus 1,247 mL (p < 0.001), respectively. Postoperative morbidity was 48% after PD and 44% after PPPD (not significant [NS]). Hospital mortality was 6% and 1% after PD and PPPD, respectively (NS). Delayed gastric emptying occurred in 34 patients after PD and in 37 after PPPD (NS). Median days of gastric suction was 3 versus 6 days for PD and PPPD (p < 0.0001). A regular diet was tolerated after a median of 10 and 11 days for PD and PPPD, respectively (NS). Postoperative hospital stay was shorter for patients who underwent PPPD: 20 versus 18 days (p < 0.03). Patients with intraabdominal complications (n = 52) showed a higher incidence of delayed gastric emptying (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Our results show that PPPD is a safe procedure associated with less operative time and blood loss than PD. After PPPD, patients require longer postoperative nasogastric intubation than after PD, suggesting some form of early postoperative gastric stasis. There is, however, no difference in the incidence of delayed gastric emptying or the first postoperative day on which a regular diet is tolerated between these surgical procedures. Intraabdominal complications are major risk factors for delayed gastric emptying.