QoL after pancreatic resection for malignant and premalignant tumours decreased considerably in the early postoperative phase. Full recovery of QoL took up to 6 months after the operation.

Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency is diagnosed in approximately half of all patients scheduled to undergo resection for pancreatic or periampullary cancer. The prevalence increases markedly after resection. These data highlight the need of pancreatic enzyme suppletion in these patients.

Pancreatoduodenectomy for malignant disease negatively influences QoL in the physical and social domains at short term. It will eventually recover to baseline values after 3-6 months. This information is valuable for counselling and expectation management of patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy.

The introduction of an early oral feeding strategy after PD reduced the time to resumption of adequate oral intake and length of hospital stay without negatively impacting postoperative morbidity.

No abstract