Background/aims: Major abdominal surgery in elderly patients has traditionally been thought to carry a high operative risk. Recent data, however, have suggested that with proper selection, elderly patients can withstand pancreatic resection.
Methodology: The medical records of 102 patients who underwent pancreatic resection for pancreatic or periampullary tumors were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-nine patients were aged 70 years or older (mean age: 74 years) and 73 patients were younger (mean age: 56 years). Concomitant comorbid conditions were evaluated 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 was 0% in the older patients and 6.8% in the younger patients. Major complications occurred in 28% of the patients. There were no significant differences in morbidity among the two age groups. The overall actuarial 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 pancreatic resection.