Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Pancreaticoduodenectomy or the Whipple procedure is a surgery to remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and the bile duct.
Some facts about Pancreaticoduodenectomy:
- Pancreaticoduodenectomy is most often performed to remove cancerous tumors from the head of the pancreas.
- The pancreas is a vital organ of your body that lies in the upper abdomen, behind your stomach and works closely with the liver and ducts that carry bile.
- Food, especially fats and protein get digested by the enzyme released by the pancreas.
- The hormones secreted by pancreas also help manage your blood sugar.
- Pancreatic or duodenal trauma, or chronic pancreatitis can also be treated by a pancreaticoduodenectomy.
- Surgical removal of the head of the pancreas also necessitates removal of the duodenum, proximal jejunum, gallbladder, and, occasionally, part of the stomach due to the shared blood supply of organs in the proximal gastrointestinal system.
- The remaining organs will be reconnected after the surgery to allow you to digest food normally after surgery.
- Whipple procedure can be done to treat Pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic tumors, Pancreatic cysts, Pancreatitis, Ampullary cancer, Bile duct cancer, Neuroendocrine tumors, Small bowel cancer, Trauma to the pancreas or small intestine and other tumors or disorders involving the pancreas, duodenum or bile ducts.
- The main purpose of doing a Whipple procedure for cancer is to remove the tumor and prevent it from growing and spreading to other organs
Preparation for Pancreaticoduodenectomy:
- Your condition will be accessed to ensure that you are healthy enough for a complex operation.
- Some additional medical tests and optimization of some of your health conditions will be done before proceeding to surgery.
- Any history of bleeding disorders or are taking any blood-thinning (anticoagulant) medicines, aspirin, or other medicines that affect blood clotting should be informed to your healthcare provider as you may have to stop taking these medicines before your surgery.
- Take your medicine with a small sip of water to avoid drinking too much liquid if you do have to take any medications.
- You should not eat or drink anything after midnight, the night before surgery.
Procedure for Pancreaticoduodenectomy:
- A Whipple procedure may be done either by Open surgery, Laparoscopic surgery or Robotic surgery.
- An incision will be made in your abdomen by your surgeon in order to access your pancreas during an open procedure.
- This is the most common approach for Pancreaticoduodenectomy.
- Several smaller incisions will be made in your abdomen by the surgeon during laparoscopic surgery.
- Special instruments, including a camera that transmits video to a monitor in the operating room will be inserted through these incisions.
- The monitor will be watched by the surgeon to guide the surgical tools in performing the Whipple procedure.
- It is a type of minimally invasive surgery.
- Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery in which the surgical tools are attached to a mechanical device called robot.
- Hand controls are used by the surgeon to direct the robot.
- Tools in tight spaces and around corners can be used by a surgical robot, where human hands may be too large to be effective.
