Editor’s note

In the next few issues, SURGERY is going to publish 4 articles based on an international consensus conference on pancreatic resections organized by the International Study Group for Pancreatic Surgery held in Verona, Italy, in April 2013. The aims of these consensus statements were not only to review current results via an evidence-based approach, but also, and possibly more important, to put forth a common definition and terminology for the topics of appropriateness of pancreatectomy for presumed cancer without a tissue diagnosis, and definitions of a suggested current understanding of borderline, resectable pancreatic cancer, extended lymphadenectomy, and extended pancreatectomy. By providing an objective definition, these statements allow valid comparisons across studies from different medical centers and countries because of common terminology—which has been a major problem in past literature. For example, the definition of a pancreatic leak varied tremendously across numerous studies of pancreatectomy. These articles are similar to several other articles published in SURGERY that have provided a common terminology/classification for pancreatic anastomotic leak, delayed postoperative gastric emptying, and postoperative hemorrhage. We hope the global house of pancreatic surgery will adopt and use these definitions/terminology in their studies, such that we all use a common language, which will allow valid comparisons across new therapeutic strategies.