Pancreatic surgery is performed to remove some portion of the pancreas or the entire pancreas, depending upon the patient's medical condition.
Alternate Name of Pancreatic Surgery
Pancreatectomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure)
Body Location
All disorders affecting your pancreas and its surrounding tissues are treated with pancreatic surgery, including:
When is Pancreatic Surgery Recommended?
The gastroenterologist may recommend pancreatic surgery in the following conditions:
- Pancreatic carcinoma
- Cysts in the pancreas
- Tumors of the pancreas
- Ampullary cancer
- Pancreatitis
- Cancer of the bile duct
- Tumors of the neuroendocrine system
- Cancer of the small intestine
- A pancreatic or small intestine injury
- Other tumors or illnesses of the bile duct, duodenum, or the pancreas
Pancreatic Surgery Type
Surgery is required for the majority of pancreatic cancer patients. Surgical procedures can be open, laparoscopic, or robotic. The possibilities are listed below:
- Staging laparoscopy: It's a key-hole surgery done under general anesthesia. A laparoscope, a special camera, examines your abdomen through three tiny incisions.
- Potentially curative surgery: It's utilized when the test findings and screenings indicate that the malignancy can be completely removed (resected).
- Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy): The top of the pancreas, the first section of a small intestine, the gallbladder, and the bile duct are all removed.
- Distal pancreatectomy: It is a procedure that removes a tumor or cancer from the pancreas' body or tail.
- Total pancreatectomy: It is a surgical technique used to manage chronic pancreatitis after all other options have failed. The whole pancreas is removed during this surgery.
- Bypass surgery: Surgery to redirect the flow of bile from the common bile duct straight into the duodenum or small intestine, bypassing the pancreas, is another option for alleviating a clogged bile duct in patients who are healthy enough.
- Palliative surgery: Palliative surgery that does not destroy cancer tissue, such as a nerve block to inhibit pain messages in the nervous system or stent implantation to relieve the blockage, is not documented as cancer-directed surgery.
Preparation for Pancreatic Surgery
Understanding the steps before pancreatic surgery helps to plan. A cancer patient's case is one-of-a-kind. The doctor will go through every operation step with you in great detail. As a result, doctors will talk about the importance of pancreatic surgery with their patients before proceeding with the procedure.
- The doctor may prescribe certain medications for you to take before surgery.
- You should avoid alcohol one day before surgery.
- You should avoid tobacco in any form before the surgery.
Pancreatic Surgery Procedure
The doctor will check if pH, vital signs, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels are within normal limits. The operation will be postponed if any health indicators change abnormally.
It can be done laparoscopically by small holes or open surgery by incision on abdomen.
The incisions are closed or stapled back when the pancreatic surgery is completed. Nurses administer antiseptic and wrap the affected regions with cotton wool to prevent bleeding and infection. The cotton dressing is also used to keep the sutures intact.
Pancreatic Surgery Risks
Even in the best possible conditions, many patients experience difficulties due to the operation. These may include the following:
- Leakage: Leaking of fluid from the pancreas or the bile ducts.
- Bleeding: bleeding at the incision area may occur.
- Infection: Infection can happen inside the abdomen or around the incision.
- Diabetes: Permanent diabetes if the entire pancreas is removed.
- Weight loss: due to poor absorption of fat and vitamin, post-surgery weight loss occurs.
Recovery After Pancreatic Surgery
You will be given injections, medications, or pain relievers to help you sleep after successfully completing the pancreatic surgery.
Your doctor regularly checks your vital signs. The doctor will take the requisite measures if the vital indicators are undesirable. If necessary, your system might be transfused with blood or glucose.
Physiotherapy might start while you're in the hospital to maintain your body healthy. Post-op yoga or meditation can be incorporated into these sessions as well. These exercises can be repeated at home afterward.
You will be permitted to return home if your health has significantly improved. Your doctor will create a food plan for you and some drugs you must take regularly.
It is essential to intake a healthy diet to keep your body fit during the healing phase. Your body's tolerance level decreases after pancreatic surgery to a degree. As a result, a nutritious diet might make it easier for your body to tolerate harsh medications.
Follow up After Pancreatic Surgery
Follow-up consultations are required following pancreatic surgery. It demonstrates how well your rehabilitation is progressing. During follow-up exams, various tests may be performed to confirm that your health is in good working order.
Temporary admission to a professional recovery center may be required for older persons and people with serious health problems. If you have concerns about your home rehabilitation, discuss them with your doctor and team.
After four to six weeks, most patients can resume their normal activities. The length of time it takes for people to heal depends on their health before surgery and the delicacy of the procedure.
A pancreatic cancer survivor who has his pancreas completely removed develops diabetes. Such people must take diabetic medications for the remainder of their lives and refrain from eating particular foods.
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