Introduction:

Pancreaticoduodenectomy is a procedure first described by Codivilla in 1898 for the management of pancreatic cancer. With subsequent contributions the technique has been perfected allowing its application in other contexts leading to the survival of many patients. However, the low demand for the procedure and the difficulties in doing so makes the decision of whether to take or not to take the patient to a Whipple surgery a very complex matter.

Case report:

We present the case of a patient who arrived at the emergency room with penetrating abdominal trauma with pancreaticoduodenal injury in whom the Whipple procedure was performed urgently by the general surgery service at a third level of care institution in Bogotá, Colombia, with excellent results.

Discussion and conclusions:

Emergency pancreatoduodenectomy is a complex procedure that represents a surgical challenge in which the hemodynamic state, the acid base balance and the presence of coagulopathy need to be considered when assuming some definitive conduct.

A comprehensive review of the scientific literature is presented.

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