Outcome after pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy in elderly patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate short-term outcomes and long-term survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy in elderly Chinese patients (aged 70 years or older) compared with younger patients.


METHODS
Between January 2005 and December 2013, 216 consecutive patients who underwent a PD with pancreatic cancer or periampullary cancers in our institution were recruited in this study. Sixty-eight patients aged 70 years or older when they underwent PD, while 148 patients younger than 70.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in postoperative mortality (p = 0.104), overall morbidity (p = 0.057) and surgical complications (p = 0.200) between the elderly patients and the younger patients. Elderly patients had a significantly higher incidence of cardiac events (p = 0.008) and pneumonia (p = 0.041) postoperatively. The postoperative hospital stay in the older age group was significantly longer (p = 0.013). The overall survival did not differ between the two age groups both when patients with pancreatic cancer were analyzed (p = 0.836) and when patients with periampullary cancers were analyzed (p = 0.817).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy in Chinese patients over 70 years old could be performed safely. Age should not be considered as a contraindication to pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Dafang
D
Zhang
Jie
J
Gao
Shu
S
Li
Fushun
F
Wang
Jiye
J
Zhu
Xisheng
X
Leng
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome