Safe surgery for cystic tumors of the pancreas.

Cystic tumors of the pancreas are a common indication for pancreatic surgery, and many of them are incidentally-discovered. Some of these tumors are malignant, and many others are pre-malignant. Less than two generations ago, pancreatic surgery was risky business. Surgical mortality, even in some of the best institutions in the world, was about 25%. Complications were very common and not infrequently patients required reoperations and had to remain in the hospital for weeks or even months. They emerged from this highly debilitated, and often went on to have a very poor quality of life. Not surprisingly, for these reasons, pancreatic resection was used only as a "last resort", and mostly for cancer.