ABSTRACT
Pancreatic surgery has undergone a number of changes during the past few decades. Controlling the exocrine pancreas is crucial to managing complications associated with pancreatic surgery. Jaundice is a common complication of pancreatic surgery, trauma, or acute pancreatitis. The increased survival rates of patients with multisystem trauma, coupled with advances in imaging techniques, have increased the frequency with which pancreatic injury is diagnosed. For the trauma surgeon, resident, or student who performs pancreatic surgery only occasionally, it is crucial to study the pancreas and its response to surgery so that potential complications of pancreatic surgery can be recognized and pancreatic injury can be managed. Knowledge of anatomy of the pancreatic ducts is important for any pancreatic or trauma surgeon. Acute pancreatitis, pancreatic trauma, and distal resection usually do not result in exocrine insufficiency. Acute pancreatitis and traumatic pancreatic injury rarely result in endocrine insufficiency. The trauma surgeon dealing with pancreatic trauma should be capable of performing all of the techniques.
