[The significance of somatostatin for decreasing peri- and postoperative complications in Whipple operation].

During the period from 1987-1990 152 patients underwent a Whipple procedure at the Department of General Surgery of Munster University Hospital. 27 operations were performed for chronic pancreatitis (17.8%), 52 for pancreatic (34.2%) and 73 (48.0%) for ampullary carcinoma. All patients received Somatostatin (6 mg/24 h) postoperatively for five days. These patients were compared with those of a former series who were identically operated but did not receive Somatostatin. In-hospital-mortality was reduced from 10.7% to 4.6%. Additionally the frequency of postoperative pancreatic fistulas was reduced among the nonlethal complications.