Conditions
Pancreatic Cancer
Definition
In patients with a malignant pancreatic tumor, aggressive pancreatic surgery is the only chance for long term survival. Most patient's will be treated with multimodality therapy (simultaneous or sequential treatment of a disease or condition using more than one means, such as by any combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunothreapy, or surgery) either pre-operatively (before surgery) or postoperatively (after surgery). Pancreatic surgery also offers patients a cure when the pancreatic tumor is benign or pre-malignant. In patients with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic surgery can effectively relieve symptoms of abdomen pain. The type of pancreatic surgery largely depends on the location of the tumor at the pancreas.
Pancreas Tumor Anatomy:
The anatomical location of the pancreas is divided into pancreatic head, uncinate process, pancreatic neck, pancreatic body and pancreatic tail.
For a pancreatic tumor at the head or uncinate process, Whipple operation is the operation of choice. For a pancreatic tumor at the body and tail of the pancreas, distal pancreatic resection is the operation of choice. For tumor in the pancreatic neck, the choice of surgery is slightly more controversy. If the tumor is benign (but symptomatic) or pre-malignant, then our choice is central pancreatic resection (median pancreatectomy). However, if the tumor is deemed malignant, then choice of operation is either an extended distal pancreatic resection or a Whipple operation.
Here, at Northwest Surgical Specialists, LLP, we offer all the pancreatic surgery mentioned above in either a laparoscopic approach or in an open fashion. We have done laparoscopic Whipple operation, laparoscopic central pancreatic resection, laparoscopic distal pancreatic resection with splenic preservation or with splenectomy. Laparoscopic enucleation is the standard of care for isolated pancreatic insulinoma.
For additional information about pancreatic surgery, please visit the procedures section of our website.