What does Whipple Operation entail?
The whipple operation involves “removing the head of the pancreas”. As you will note from the illustration, the common bile duct, the ampulla, the duodenum are all integrally related to the head of the pancreas and all share their blood supply. Therefore the Whipple operation is a fairly complex operation removing portions of all these structures and then re-hooking these back up to a new loop of intestine. Dr. Allen Whipple was a Professor of Surgery at Columbia University in New York City who popularized this operation in the early 1930’s. It has since undergone several minor modifications and therefore goes by different names. It is an operation that should only be done by experienced surgeons who do these routinely. Dr. Singh has been doing this operation for over 15 years with excellent outcomes. The average hospital stay ranges from 7-14 days.
Can the whipple operations be done laparoscopically?
Yes. A good number of early cancers of the pancreas or small lesions cases can be done using the minimally invasive techniques i.e. through tiny incisions on the abdomen. Most of these involve hand assisted techniques. Decisions are made on a on a case by case basis upon reviewing the CT or MRI scans to ensure the quality of the operation is not compromised if done using laparoscopic techniques.
Can the whipple operations be done using Robotic Technology?
Yes. Robotic technology offers all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery without the technical challenges of a conventional laparoscopic approach. Plus, robotic technology shows the surgical field in 3-D, which allows greater precision than the 2-D laparoscopic view. Once again, decisions are made on a on a case by case basis upon reviewing the scans and making sure we are not compromising on the quality of the cancer operation. At the Liver and Pancreas Center, we are using the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System to perform these surgeries.
When is a Whipple Operation done?
It most often performed for:
- Cancer of the head of the pancreas or uncinate process of the pancreas
- Cancer of the ampulla (junction of the bile duct and pancreatic duct)
- Cancer of the lower end of the Bile duct (aka cholangiocarcinoma)
- Cancer of the duodenum
- Non-cancerous lesions/chronic pancreatitis (infrequently)
Related Links:
Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Can the Veins & Arteries be resected?
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