Cephalic Pancreatoduodenectomy (CPD) Performed for Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma in a 72 Year-Old Patient - Case Presentation

We are presenting a case of mechanical jaundice caused by a pancreatic head cancer in a 72-year-old patient. The clinical examination suspected this diagnosis based on the characteristics of jaundice and the Courvoisier-Terrier sign that was present in the clinical exam. Laboratory and imagistic exams confirm this suspicion. After a short preoperative preparation, a cephalic pancreatoduodenectomy was made using the Whipple procedure. The postoperative evolution was complicated by the appearance of a biliary fistula, which closed after the resuming of intestinal transit. The patient left the surgery department after 25 days of hospitalization. Technological advancement, adequate preoperative rebalancing and especially the emergence of surgical centers specialized in pancreatic resections, have reduced mortality after CPD below 5%. However, an unresolved issue is the long-term survival after CPD for pancreatic cancer (0 - 24%), which is considered by some authors disappointing.