Rare, Uncommon, and Unusual Complications After Pancreaticoduodenal Resection

Complications after pancreaticoduodenal resection occur in at least 30% of patients. Most are a direct result of an intraoperative event, dissection, or anastomoses. The most common complications result from a pancreatic enteric leak or fistula, accounting for the most serious morbidities, sepsis, pseudoaneurysms, and hemorrhage. Rarely, complications are systemic and stem from a compromised or immunosuppressed host or changes in blood flow or pressure during or after surgery. Pancreaticoduodenal resection is a significant operation with serious consequences, and decisions on selection of candidates and safe operations should be thoughtful and always in surgeons’ minds.