The Mayo Clinic lists pancreatoduodenectomy, or the Whipple procedure, as the most commonly used surgery to treat cancer of the pancreas. This complex surgery involves many internal organs and is only performed by highly skilled surgeons. The Whipple procedure treats early stage pancreatic cancer that has not yet spread to other parts of the body.
History
According to the University of Southern California, Allan Whipple first used this surgery in the 1930s. Through the 1970s, death rates from the surgery alone reached up to 25 percent. Through the decades, surgeons have improved the procedure and today death rates are below 5 percent. The Mayo Clinic performs approximately 100 Whipple procedures every year.
Procedure
The Mayo Clinic describes the procedure as the removal of head of the pancreas, the part of the small intestine called the duodenum, part of the stomach, and bile duct. The gall bladder is also removed. Once removal of these organs takes place, the stomach reattaches to the intestine to form the new, smaller digestive system. This surgery is done either with a large open incision or with a laparoscopic incision with the use of a small camera.
Recovery Time
The Baylor College of Medicine reports the average hospital stay for patients without complications from surgery is two to three weeks. After surgery, patients will be left with a temporary drain for bile and other fluid as well as a feeding tube. Digestion is altered with this surgery and it could take months before normal digestion returns.
Survival Time
The odds of survival with pancreatic cancer remain low despite all treatment options. The University of Southern California reports that pancreatic cancer patients that do or cannot undergo the Whipple procedure have a less than 5 percent survival rate after five years. Having a successful Whipple procedure can increase five-year survival rate to 20 to 40 percent.
Complications
The risk for complications with the Whipple procedure is high, reaching 30 to 40 percent. Two complications of the Whipple procedure include paralysis of the stomach and trouble absorbing nutrients after surgery. The Baylor College of Medicine also lists complications include leaking of bile and other fluids, risk for infection, bleeding, and development of postoperative diabetes.
