Association of the rate of bilirubin decrease with major morbidity in patients undergoing preoperative biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the rate of bilirubin decrease following preoperative biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy and postoperative morbidity.

Methods: Records of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at the Department of Surgery in Ramathibodi Hospital between January 2008 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into either an adequate or inadequate drainage rate groups according to the bilirubin decrease rate.