Whipple Surgery (Pancreaticoduodenectomy)

The head of the pancreas, stomach, duodenum, and bile ducts are a "crossroads" that stick together and use common channels. If the tumor is in this crossroads; the head of the pancreas (the part with the tumor), the entire duodenum, the gallbladder, a part of the bile duct, and sometimes a part of the stomach are cut and discarded as a single block (all together).

Art begins at the "Reconstruction" stage of the surgical operation. The surgeon pulls the small intestine upwards and connects it to the remaining healthy Pancreas (for pancreatic enzymes to flow), to the Bile duct (for bile to flow), and to the Stomach (for food to go down) separately with 3 different delicate suture lines (anastomoses).

Since many organs need to be cut and sewn back together with very fine threads (especially soft pancreatic tissue to the intestine), the surgery takes an average of 6 to 8 hours. The most feared condition after the surgery is the leakage of enzymes and fluid from these sutured places (especially the pancreas-intestine connection) (fistula/leak). It requires very high experience.

Because only the tumorous "head" part is removed, not the entire pancreas, the remaining tail and body parts are usually sufficient to meet the patient's insulin needs (and regulate blood sugar). The likelihood of new diabetes emerging is low; however, since the patient's absorption mechanism has changed, they need to use digestive enzyme medications (pills) for a long time and eat small, frequent meals.