Total pancreatectomy is a surgical procedure performed only in selected cases because it is associated with excessively high mortality and morbidity, especially for difficult-to-control diabetes, without the oncological benefits of more radical surgery. For tail of the body locations (neoplasms at this site are resectable in only approximately 10% of cases), surgical intervention consists of distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy.
Complications
The most common complication is a left subphrenic abscess with the presence or absence of a pancreatic fistula, which also has a benign course due to the lack of contamination by enteric fluid.