What are the steps of a Whipple procedure?

What are the steps of a Whipple procedure?

Inspection/Identification of Structures behind Duodenum

1. Determine if any lymphadenopathy is present.
2. Inspection and palpation of superior mesenteric artery.
3. Inspection of common bile duct.
4. Inspection of transverse mesocolon with mobilization of omentum off of transverse mesocolon and colon.

How big is the incision for Whipple surgery?

Your abdomen will be filled with gas to help your surgeon better visualize your abdominal cavity. Three small incisions will be made to perform the procedure. A small camera will be introduced into one of the incision sites (approximately 1/2 inch) to let your surgeon see the pancreas and surrounding area.

What sutures are used in a Whipple procedure?

Whenever possible, this anastomosis is created in two layers, end to side, using an outer row of interrupted nonabsorbable 3-0 sutures that includes most of the cut surface of the pancreas and an inner row of 4-0 interrupted synthetic absorbable sutures duct to mucosa (Fig. 10).

What 5 organs are involved in Whipple procedure?

During this procedure, surgeons remove the head of the pancreas, most of the duodenum (a part of the small intestine), a portion of the bile duct, the gallbladder and associated lymph nodes.

Is there an alternative to the Whipple procedure?

Based on this experience, I believe that the duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection and the Frey procedure both offer better alternatives than the Whipple operation for patients with benign disease.

How long are you in the hospital after Whipple surgery?

Most people stay in the hospital for 6 days after having a Whipple procedure. When you’re taken to your hospital room, you’ll meet one of the nurses who will care for you while you’re in the hospital.

What is the cost of Whipple surgery?

For example, according to Vimo.com, a health care cost comparison website, Barnes Jewish Hospital in Missouri charges more than $40,000 for the Whipple procedure, a common surgery for pancreatic cancer. That cost can reach $85,000 or more with the addition of non-surgical care.

How long did Steve Jobs live after Whipple surgery?

After a delay of nine months after diagnosis, in 2004, Jobs opted for surgery. He died 7 years later.

Can you live 20 years after Whipple surgery?

By the time pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, often, it is already too late for surgery to be effective. So, the primary benefit of having a Whipple procedure is that with early screening and diagnosis, it can give people a chance to live for many years in relatively good health.

What is life like after a Whipple procedure?

How long does it take to recover from a Whipple procedure? Patients typically leave the hospital and go home within a week. But, for most people, it takes as long as 2 to 6 months to fully get back to a normal quality of life. Ultimately, patients should be able to do anything after surgery that they could do before.

What is the longest anyone has lived after Whipple surgery?

Five of those patients experienced disease progression within the first 3 years after diagnosis. Local tumor bed was the most common site of progression. To date, no patient has survived longer than 10 years and the longest overall survival is 8.6 years.

What to expect after Whipple surgery?

What To Expect After Surgery. The Whipple procedure requires general anesthesia and a hospital stay of 1 to 2 weeks. Unless you had laparoscopic surgery, you will have a large scar in your belly. It’s normal to feel pain in the area for the first week or so. You’ll get medicines to control the pain.

How many people survive after the Whipple procedure?

Overall, the five-year survival rate after a Whipple procedure is about 20 to 25%.

What happens after the Whipple surgery?

Immediately after the Whipple procedure , serious complications can affect many patients. One of the most common of these include the development of false channels (fistulas) and leakage from the site of the bowel reconnection.

How long do people live after Whipple?

Survival Rate. Patients suffering from pancreatic cancer have a 5 percent survival rate at five years, meaning that only 5 percent of the patients will live five years after their diagnosis. Those patients that undergo the Whipple procedure , however, increase their survival rate to 20 percent at five years.