Virginia Mason Offers “Game Changer” Surgery To Remove Cancer From Pancreas
September 9, 2016
Edited For Style and Length
Source: Virginia Mason Medical Center
Seattle, Washington
Virginia Mason now offers the totally laparoscopic Whipple procedure as an advanced surgical option for removing tumors from the head of the pancreas.
Adnan Alseidi, MD performed the first totally laparoscopic Whipple at the Virginia Mason Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Surgical Center of Excellence in late July. His patient was released from the hospital only four days after surgery – about half the average length of stay for a patient who undergoes the traditional, open-resection Whipple. By mid-August, she was feeling well enough to travel.
This totally laparoscopic Whipple procedure at Virginia Mason is a game-changer,” he said.
The procedure is an option for patients requiring removal of benign or malignant tumors from the head of the pancreas. A review of radiological images is conducted to determine whether the patient is a candidate for this approach; otherwise an open or a hybrid procedure can be offered.
This procedure offers particular promise to individuals for whom traditional surgery poses an increased risk due to the individual’s age or medical condition. The laparoscopic Whipple usually lasts 5-8 hours and, at Virginia Mason, the patient may remain in the hospital from seven to 14 days.
“Laparoscopic procedures are less stressful physically and physiologically, and recovery can happen much more quickly,” Dr. Alseidi said. “This approach is an incredible option for our patients.”
Virginia Mason’s multidisciplinary method for treating pancreatic cancer involves oncologists, gastroenterologists, nutritionists, nurses, and surgeons. The medical center has some of the highest five-year survival rates in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.
“Multi-disciplinary care is essential in the treatment of pancreas cancer,” said Dr. Alseidi, who also performs laparoscopic removal of tumors from the middle and tail of the pancreas.
The standard Whipple Procedure is the most common surgery for removing tumors from the pancreas. This approach requires the surgeon to make a deep incision in the patient’s abdomen to remove the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, part of the small intestine, a portion of the stomach and lymph nodes. The surgeon then reconnects the remaining pancreas and digestive organs.