Prospective Trial of a Blood Supply-Based Technique of Pancreaticojejunostomy: Effect on Anastomotic Failure in the Whipple Procedure1

Anastomotic failure at the pancreaticojejunostomy after a Whipple procedure, manifested either as a pancreatic fistula or intraabdominal abscess, is still an unacceptably common postoperative complication.A prospectively collected series of 123 patients underwent a Whipple procedure. During the pancreaticojejunostomy, the blood supply at the cut surface of the pancreas was evaluated, and if deemed inadequate, the pancreas was cut back 1.5 to 2.0...