Surgical resection is being increasingly performed for carcinomas of the area of the head of the pancreas with curative intent. Pre-and intraoperative assessment of the site of origin and the stage of the lesion is of the utmost importance for a more favorable prognosis of non pancreatic forms and for a better evaluation of long term results of treatment adopted. Staging of non pancreatic periampullary tumors is usually very precise since they are most often shown to be resectable on laparotomy. Surgical resection by pancreaticoduodenectomy is the treatment of election based on good long term results. To the contrary, problems involved in the carcinoma of the head of the pancreas are non negligible. Some aspects related to the criteria of resectability of these tumors (diameter of primary lesion, infiltration of adjacent organs and large vessels, lymph node involvement) are discussed. How extensive pancreatic resection (subtotal, total or regional pancreatectomy) should be, is still a debated subject. In fact, it is not directly proportional to an improvement in prognosis. Complementary treatments directed to the improvement of the disappointing results at present achieved with surgery alone, are desirable.