Pancreatoduodenectomy for Ductal Adenocarcinoma in the Very Elderly; Is It Safe and Justified?

Background The outcomes of complex major surgery in the elderly are being scrutinized because of the demands on surgical services by an aging population and the concern whether such endeavors are justified. Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma presents special challenges because of the high morbidity of the procedure, dismal prognosis of the disease, and the increasing incidence of pancreatic cancer with age.