Randomized clinical trial of external stent drainage of the pancreatic duct to reduce postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreaticojejunostomy

Background Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains one of the most common causes of morbidity following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This randomized trial examined whether external stent drainage of the pancreatic duct decreases the rate of POPF after PD and subsequent pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ). Methods Consecutive patients who underwent PD with subsequent construction of a duct-to-mucosa PJ were randomized into a stented and a...