On average, the surgery takes six hours to complete. Most patients stay in the hospital for one to two weeks following the Whipple procedure.
Whipple Procedure (Pancreaticoduodenectomy) People with pancreatic cancer may get their tumor removed with a surgery called the Whipple procedure. This inpatient, usually open surgery, often requires a week-long hospital stay and another four to six week recovery time.
Most people will be walking immediately after the operation. Expect to spend at least a week in the hospital, depending on your overall recovery. Stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a few days. If you have certain medical conditions or a complex case, you may be admitted to the ICU after surgery.
If a Whipple procedure is done on the right patient for the right reason at the right time by the right surgeon, patients can expect a full return to the quality of life they had before cancer.
For some pancreatic patients, however, a complex surgery known as the Whipple procedure may extend life and could be a potential cure. Those who undergo a successful Whipple procedure may have a five-year survival rate of up to 25%.
In these instances, a PD is performed to achieve a reasonable goal, palliation, and the term palliative Whipple accurately describes the procedure.
But a Whipple procedure is a very complex operation that often causes major changes to the digestive system. This can translate into some serious long-term effects, including abdominal discomfort, weight loss, digestive problems, and chronic fatigue.
There is no doubt that the Whipple procedure is a painful operation. This is largely due to the extent of the organs being removed or rearranged and the proximity of the pancreas to nerves as they exit the spine at the back of the abdomen during the operation.
For how long do I have to take creon? If you have had surgery to remove your entire pancreas or if it has been damaged by cancer, you will need to take creon for the rest of your life.
While there is no age limit for the Whipple procedure, age-related issues and conditions may impact a patient's medical course and outcome.
You should be offered chemotherapy after surgery to remove the cancer (such as the Whipple's procedure), to try to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back.
Eating Tips
Eat small, frequent meals (5 to 6 meals per day). After surgery, you will feel full quickly and will be able to eat only small amounts at a time. Stop eating when you feel full. Eat slowly and chew your foods very well.
The procedure takes 4-12 hours. Recovery in the hospital can last 7-14 days. Healing at home takes about 2 weeks.
Mayo Clinic surgeons are experts in the Whipple procedure, every variation of it and other pancreatic operations. Each year Mayo Clinic surgeons perform over 450 such surgeries.
Adjuvant chemotherapy improves overall and disease-free survival after curative pancreatic resection, but only a small fraction of patients completes the recommended 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy.
Avoid fried, greasy and fatty foods. These foods are hard to digest with an altered pancreas. Choose baked, broiled, or grilled foods instead. After a Whipple procedure, it is often recommended to limit fat intake to no more than 40-60 grams per day.
Chronic Fatigue
Whipple surgery is a major operation. It is completely normal to feel weak and tired following the procedure. Chronic fatigue is a common side effect, and it can take several months to recover from. Some patients don't regain their full strength after surgery for a year or more.
Does Creon cause weight gain or weight loss? No, weight changes were not a reported side effect in Creon's clinical trials. However, many conditions affecting the pancreas can cause weight loss. This is because the enzymes in the pancreas help your body absorb nutrients.
Possible complications from the Whipple procedure
The most common complication is post-op leaking of pancreatic juices from the site of the incision. A drain may need to be inserted through the skin to allow for the juices to drain, perhaps for several weeks.
There are two common types of Whipple procedures - the conventional Whipple and the pylorus-sparing Whipple.
Can I drink alcohol? In the first few weeks after major pancreatic surgery it is wise to be cautious and avoid alcohol. Patients with alcohol related diseases such as chronic and acute pancreatitis alcohol should be completely stopped.
Whipple procedures are complicated because they involve so many different organs, but that's not the only reason. “The pancreas is located in a very difficult spot, deep in the central part of the abdomen,” Reddy explained.
If you are not making enough enzymes for digestion you can have bloating, gas, fatty diarrhea that floats in the toilet and is pale in color (steatorrhea), or weight loss. You can take supplemental pancreatic enzymes, in pill form, to reduce these side effects.
It is possible to live a healthy life without a pancreas, but doing so requires on-going medical care. Pancreas removal causes diabetes, and can change the body's ability to digest food. This requires lifelong diabetes treatment, including eating a low-sugar, low-carbohydrate diabetes diet.