Prognostic indicators of morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomyIntroductionA pancreaticoduodenectomy is a complex surgical procedure, performed to remove a neoplasm from the head of the pancreas and also to resect neoplasms from the duodenum and common bile duct ( Rios et al., 1999). The procedure classically involves removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, part of the proximal jejunum, the gallbladder, the common bile duct just above the cystic duct, and the distal stomach. However, sometimes the distal stomach is preserved in what is called a pylorus-sparing pancreaticoduodenectomy. The operation results in three new anastomoses: a pancreaticojejunostomy, a gastrojejunostomy and a hepaticojejunostomy. The reasoning behind such extensive en bloc ablation of the viscera is primarily due to the shared blood supply of the duodenum and the head of the pancreas, the gastroduodenal artery (Chandrakanth et al, 2010). The procedure was first described in 1898 by Italian surgeon Alessandro Codivilla. and it was first used for peri-ampullary cancer by the German surgeon Walther Kausch in 1909. It was in 1935 that Dr. Allen Whipple, a surgeon in New York, improved the procedure and it was in his honor that the procedure is nicknamed today, as the Pancreaticoduodenectomy is more commonly known as the Whipple procedure. This retrospective study aims to investigate, by obtaining information from patient records, whether it is possible to predict post-Whipple morbidity using a patient's details, including their pre-Whipple medical and surgical history, their blood. measurements and social history.MethodsData acquisition:A list of patients was compiled, all of whom had undergone a Whipple procedure at St. Vincent University Hospital Dublin (SVUH) and St. Vincent...... middle paper... ...a longer hospital stay and therefore an increased risk of other complications.ConclusionThe results of this study highlight some subtle indicators of morbidity after the Whipple procedure. The association between cigarettes and postoperative RTIs is significant and it is worth investigating whether, hypothetically, patients with a history of smoking should be placed on prophylactic antibiotics postoperatively. Reducing the occurrence of such a common complication can reduce the risk of mortality, reduce healthcare staff work hours and ultimately save the healthcare system money. Works cited1. Rios G, Conrad A, Cole D, Adams D, Leveen M, O'Brien P, Baron P. (1999) Trends in Whipple procedure indications and outcomes over a 40-year period.2. Chandrakanth Are, Mashaal Dhir, Lavanya Ravipati. (2010)History of pancreaticoduodenectomy: early misconceptions, initial milestones and pioneers.