Pancreatic Cancer Surgery

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer Overview

The best chance for cure of pancreatic cancer is provided by early diagnosis and surgical removal of the tumor. Surgery combined with the appropriate radiation and drug therapies can significantly extend survival.

Surgeon experience heavily influences a patient’s chances for improved outcome after surgery for pancreatic cancer. Highly specialized pancreatic surgeons at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin have a proven track record in performing a variety of advanced pancreatic surgical techniques, including pancreas-sparing tumor resections and surgeries to remove extensive tumors. They are international authorities on the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and they offer experienced guidance in disease management.

Our “Surgery Last” Approach

Whether or not a patient is eligible for surgery depends on many factors, including the size and location of the tumor and the stage of the disease.

For the last several decades, the standard care plan for operable pancreatic tumors has been surgery followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Based on careful research, the care team at the Clinical Cancer Center strongly advocates a “surgery last” approach. Most patients with resectable or “borderline resectable” pancreatic tumors receive combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) prior to undergoing surgery to remove their tumor.

This approach provides a better chance of controlling the cancer and setting the stage for a successful surgery.

Surgery Types

All or part of the pancreas may be removed, depending on the location and size of the tumor, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s overall health. Our surgical oncologists offer the full range of surgical procedures for malignant pancreatic disease:

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (the Whipple procedure) is a surgery to remove a tumor in the head of the pancreas. This procedure involves removing the head of the pancreas, the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), the gallbladder, part of the common bile duct, and nearby lymph nodes.
Pancreatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas. In a total pancreatectomy, the entire pancreas is removed, usually along with the spleen, the gallbladder, the common bile duct, and portions of the small intestine and the stomach. After a total pancreatectomy, the body loses the ability to secrete insulin, digestive enzymes and other substances. These conditions are treated with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy and insulin injections. In a distal pancreatectomy, only the body and tail of the pancreas are removed, leaving the head of the organ. Central pancreatectomy, in which only the middle section of the pancreas is removed, can be an option for some patients. Some patients are eligible for minimally invasive pancreatectomy using laparoscopic techniques.
Ampullectomy is the removal of tumors located in the ampulla of Vater, which is the junction of the pancreatic duct and the common bile duct at the point where they enter the small intestine.
Enucleation is a limited surgical resection in which the surgeon removes just the tumor and a surrounding rim of normal tissue, leaving most of the pancreas intact.

Portal and Superior Mesenteric Vein Resection

As pancreatic tumors grow, they often encroach upon adjacent blood vessels. Blood vessel involvement is a major challenge in pancreatic surgery and can cause patients to be ineligible for surgical treatment.

Surgical oncologists at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin are highly experienced in operating on pancreatic cancers that have invaded nearby veins. During a highly technical procedure, they are able to resect the portal vein and/or the superior mesenteric vein and reconstruct them using blood vessels from another part of the body.