Abstract Experience in treating tumours of the ampulla of Vater in the North West region of the UK is reviewed. The results of local resection, radical resection and palliative bypass in 61 cases have been compared. Local resection in this series offers a better survival than radical procedures at one, two, three and five years. The operative mortality for radical procedures was 30 per cent. There were no operative deaths in those patients having a local resection. No patient having palliative bypass surgery survived more than 18 months.