Whipple's Procedure: Symptoms, Classification, Diagnosis & Recovery

Before the actual procedure, the surgeon will first make a thorough evaluation of your health condition. This is done for two purposes. First, it helps analyze whether you are healthy enough to undergo a surgery. Secondly, it helps figure out which approach of Whipple operation would be the best to treat the condition of the patient.

The following are the three approaches through which a Whipple procedure may be conducted:

• Open surgery
• Laparoscopic surgery
• Robotic surgery

Laparoscopic and robotic surgeries are minimally invasive procedures that allow for minimal healing time, quicker recovery, minimal hospital stay, and less pain.Irrespective of the approach used

The following are some of the things that you will be required to do before the surgery:

• Talk to your doctor if you are taking any medications or herbal supplements. You may be asked to stop these medications at least a few days before the surgery.
• Take the medications as advised by the surgeon.
• Do not eat or drink after midnight before the day of the surgery.
• Inform the doctor if you are allergic to certain medications.

• An intravenous (IV) line is put into a vein of the arm. You may receive a medication through the IV line that will help you relax.
• General anaesthesia is administered to put you into temporary sleep so that you do not experience any discomfort.
• A urinary catheter will be inserted to drain urine during and after the surgery.
• The surgeon makes a single large incision (open surgery) or multiple small incisions (laparoscopic surgery) to access the internal organs.
• The head of the pancreas is removed along with the gallbladder, small intestine, and the bile duct.
• Sometimes, a part of the stomach and the nearby lymph nodes may also be performed.
• In certain cases, another pancreatic surgery for some other procedure may also be performed at this time.
• The remaining portions of the stomach, pancreas, and intestines are reconnected after the procedure.

The operation is considered quite complex and therefore, the patient is required to stay in the hospital for one or two weeks with first night spent in ICU. Fatigue is common during Whipple’s procedure recovery phase for the first two months and follow-up occurs once in a week. This is followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the case of cancer.

• Patients are encouraged for short walks initially.
• Slowly, solid foods are incorporated into the diet while pills are given for pain management.
• Patients are instructed on how to keep the incision area clean and bathing instructions are given.
• Consumption of small meals are recommended and the patients are advised to avoid fatty foods completely
• Pancreatic enzyme replacements can be given.
• The patient is asked to increase water intake and avoid lifting heavy weights.