Review of Techniques for Pancreatic Surgery

After the establishment of Whipple Procedure in 1935, the surgical techniques for pancreatic surgery evolved rapidly with the improvement of surgical skills, radiology, anesthesiology and intensive care. For now, the mortality rates for Whipple procedure can be achieved by less than 5% [1]. Though this procedure has been optimized over time, however, due to the complex anatomy of the pancreas, the overall complication rate for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains about 40% [2]. Thus, improvements of surgical techniques for pancreas remains urgently needed to increase the resectability and reduce the postoperative complications. This review intends to summarize the surgical techniques of pancreatic surgery and provide some experience for pancreatic surgeons.