Pancreas Surgery

Pancreas surgery is performed to treat pancreatic cancers, benign diseases of the pancreas and pancreatic cysts that meet certain criteria. These complex operations include pancreatectomy, which is the removal of the entire organ and may also include removal of the spleen, gallbladder, common bile duct and portions of the small intestine and stomach. An alternative form of this surgery is the distal pancreatectomy, wherein just the body and tail of the pancreas are removed while the head of the organ remains intact. Yet another form of pancreas surgery is known as the “Whipple procedure.” Here, all or part of the pancreas is removed along with the duodenum – the technical term for this being a “pancreaticoduodenectomy.” This last procedure may be combined with the removal of regional lymph nodes. Our highly skilled surgeons can perform many pancreatic surgeries via minimally invasive, laparoscopic methods that give patients the best chance for avoiding post-operative complications.