Short-term surgical outcomes for patients with non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are unaffected by chronological age

Background: Non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-pNETs) are increasingly diagnosed, particularly in older adults, largely due to widespread cross-sectional imaging. Patients with NF-pNETs typically have a soft pancreas and a small main pancreatic duct, which puts them at high risk for postoperative pancreatic fistula B/C, significantly impacting postoperative morbidity and mortality. Given the rising incidence of NF-pNETs and ongoing uncertainty about optimal treatment in older individuals, this study evaluates postoperative outcomes and histopathological differences between older and younger patient cohorts. Material and methods: In this study, a total of 171 patients that underwent any type of pancreatic resection for NF-pNETs between 2003 and 2023 at our institution, were investigated retrospectively upon demographic data, postoperative complications, duration of hospital stay and tumor histology. Patients were stratified into younger (< 70 years) and older (> 70 years) groups. Postoperative short-term outcomes were compared between both groups. Results: A total of 171 patients underwent pancreatic resection for NF-pNETs, including 129 younger (