What Is Whipple Operation For Pancreatic Cancer?

When pancreatic cancer is located in the head of the pancreas, we do a Whipple operation. Sometimes tumors grow and block the bile duct; the patient has jaundice because the bile duct cannot be discharged into the intestine.

The Whipple procedure involves removing the head of the pancreas, a portion of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder, the bile duct, and associated lymph nodes. Tumors can also be enlarged towards the portal vein, which passes behind the pancreas and feeds the liver. In this situation, this major operation becomes more complicated if the vessel invasion is exact and resection of the vein (portal vein) is done.

The most common complication is postoperative leaking of the pancreatic juices from the anastomosis.