TWELVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE USING CHOLECYSTOJEJUNAL BY-PASS FOR PALLIATIVE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED PANCREATIC CANCER

BACKGROUND: The cholecistojejunal bypass is an important resource to treat obstructive jaundice due to advanced pancreatic cancer. AIM: To assess the early morbidity and mortality of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent cholecystojejunal derivation, and to assess the success of this procedure in relieving jaundice. METHOD: This retrospective study examined the medical records of patients who underwent surgery. They were categorized into early death and non-early death groups according to case outcome. RESULTS: 51.8% of the patients were male and 48.2% were female. The mean age was 62.3 years. Early mortality was 14.5%, and 10.9% of them experienced surgical complications. The cholecystojejunostomy procedure was effective in 97% of cases. There was a tendency of increased survival in women and patients with preoperative serum total bilirubin levels below 15 mg/dl. CONCLUSION: Cholecystojejunal derivation is a good therapeutic option for relieving jaundice in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, with acceptable rates of morbidity and mortality.