Rationale and Objective: Leakage from the pancreatic stump (PL) is the most common complication following distal pancreatectomy, and its incidence has remained unchanged. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a novel pancreatic stump closure technique utilizing an autologous patch taken from the falciform ligament. Patients and Methods: The hospital and clinic records of 316 patients who underwent distal pancreatic resections at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1994 to 2005 were reviewed. Pancreatic leak was carefully defined a priori as a pancreatic fistula, abscess or amylase rich sterile collection. 256 cases were performed over the first 10 year period and served as a historical control group. The experimental group consisted of 60 patients who underwent elective distal pancreatectomy from 08/04 to 11/05. In these patients, the pancreatic stump was closed with interlocking mattress silk stitches and sealed with a peritoneal patch taken from the translucent portion of the falciform ligament adhered by a layer of fibrin glue. Data regarding their clinical course was recorded prospectively and compared with the control group. Results: Overall, there were 60% women and the test and control groups were comparable with regard to their clinical characteristics. The most frequent diagnosis was neuroendocrine tumor (19%) followed by ductal adenocarcinoma (16%). The overall leak rate in the control group was 35% and did not change over time. The patch group leak rate was 22% (p = 0.05). The added cost of this intervention was , and did not prolong median operative time. Mortality was 0.8% in the control group and there were no deaths in the test group. The postoperative length of stay was lower in the patch group (mean 5.7 ±1.6 vs. 7.5 ±5.0, median 5 vs. 6, range 3-56, p < 0.001) Conclusions: Complications derived from PL following distal pancreatectomy continue to present a challenge. The technique of stump closure described herein decreased the pancreatic leak rate by 37% and shortened length of stay. The minimal added cost is readily justified. A randomized trial should be undertaken to confirm the utility of this technique.