Pancreatic Head Resection (Whipple Procedure)

Pancreatic head resection is also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, or "Whipple" procedure.

About the Whipple Procedure

This procedure is performed for tumors located in the head of the pancreas that are malignant, though occasionally benign ones need to be removed as well. These tumors can start in the pancreas itself, the part of the bile duct which goes through the pancreas, or the wall of the bowel (the duodenum) adherent to the pancreas.

A pancreatic head resection entails removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum (the first piece of the small intestine), part of the bile duct (the pipe which drains bile from the liver into the bowel), the surrounding lymph nodes, the gallbladder, and sometimes part of the stomach.

This operation consists of two parts:

• Removing all of the relevant structures in one piece
• Reconnecting the necessary structure

Once the affected portions are removed, what remains of the bile duct, pancreas and stomach need to have drainage established. This is done by using a piece of intestine called the jejunum and making three separate openings into which the bile duct, the pancreatic duct, and the stomach can be drained.

Illustrations