Surgical resection for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm in the older population.

backgroundSurgery for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in older adults requires a careful balance of risk and benefit. We sought to analyze patient outcomes in the older individuals after pancreatic resection for IPMN.

methodsRetrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was performed for patients 65 years or older undergoing IPMN resection between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017. Statistical analysis was performed based on age and Memorial Sloan Kettering Frailty Index (MSKFI) score.

results148 patients underwent resection of an IPMN, including five patients who required two operations for recurrent disease. Median age at surgery was 74 (range, 65-90 years), and 52% were male. Most patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (53%) or distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy (35%). An associated adenocarcinoma was seen on pathology for 56 patients (37%). Median hospital length of stay was 7 days (range, 4-46 days). Grade 3 or higher post-operative complications on the Clavien-Dindo classification scale were seen in 20%. No patient died within 30-days. Patient outcomes were evaluated by age, split at age ≥75 (considered "elderly"), and separately by MSKFI score. No differences in post-operative morbidity or mortality was seen when stratified by age (65 - 74 vs > 75 years) or by MSKFI frailty score.

conclusionPancreatic resection can be safely performed in selected patients 65 years and older with low morbidity and mortality. More analysis is needed to determine if MSKFI score is a useful predictor of complications in older individuals.