Randomized prospective trial of pylorus-preserving vs. classic duodenopancreatectomy (Whipple procedure):: Initial clinical results

During the past decades, the classic Whipple resection (cWhipple) and the pylorus-preserving Whipple (ppWhipple) operation have been advanced for the resection of cancer of the pancreatic head. However, no definitive answer exists as to whether the more conservative ppWhipple operation indeed equalizes the short- and long-term results of the cWhipple procedure. Therefore we conducted a randomized prospective trial in a nonselected series of consecutive patients. Demographics, diagnostic, intraoperative, and histologic findings (tumor type and tumor stage of these patients) as well as postoperative mortality, morbidity, and follow-up after discharge were analyzed. For statistical evaluation Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were used where appropriate. Survival was analyzed according to Kaplan-Meier curves, and differences were examined using the log-rank test. From June 1996 to April 1999, a total of 114 patients with suspected pancreatic or periampullary tumors were prospectively randomized to undergo either a cWhipple or a ppWhipple (intention to treat) operation. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 77 of these patients were included in the final analysis. Forty had a cWhipple and 37 had a ppWhipple resection. There were no differences with regard to age, sex distribution, ASA classification, histologic classification, UICC stage, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and length of hospital stay. The ppWhipple group had a significantly shorter operative time, reduced blood loss, and fewer blood transfusions. There was no difference in mortality, but the cWhipple group showed a significantly higher total morbidity. The incidence of delayed gastric emptying was identical in both groups. For long-term follow-up, a total of 61 patients with histologically proven pancreatic or periampullary carcinoma were analyzed. There were no differences in tumor recurrence or in long-term survival at a median follow-up of 1.1 years (range 0.1 to 2.9 years). Our initial results demonstrate that the cWhipple and ppWhipple operations are equally radical. However, ppWhipple may be the procedure of choice for the treatment of pancreatic and periampullary cancer.