Skip to main content

What is a Pancreaticoduodenectomy or "The Whipple" ?

 A Pancreaticoduodenectomy or "The Whipple" is an complex operation to treat tumors, polyps, and other conditions of the pancreas, duodenum, and bile ducts. It removes the head of the pancreas, bottom of the stomach ( the pylorus), the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), the gallbladder and the bile duct. 



 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Getting my strenght back after a Pancreaticoduodenectomy, The Whipple Surgery.

 The  Pancreaticoduodenectomy or "The Whipple" , Nov 2023, went okay they tell me, but after I developed a pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) leak, followed by hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) leak, gastrojejunostomy (GJ), and a stubborn fistula. The resulting complications , leaks, and fistula did so much extra damage to my body, and abdominal muscles, I lost most of my core strength, and flexibility. I was very discourage and worried my quality of life was going to change more because of the complications, than from the changes to my body from the surgery. I told my friends if I can walk, and eat everything else will be a bonus, I just wanted to get out of the hospital, and get on with my “new normal” life. I still have a golf ball size scar in the middle of my incision, from the fistula, the tissue is sunk in, and much thinner the the surrounding tissue. I am concerned about future problems, like hernias, but live a very active life so have to balance getting stronger, enjoying what I li...

Remembering my Dad, Feb 12, 1980.

 On the  45th eve of my dad’s passing, I was reading some hand written notes by my mother. Talking to dad on one of his last days. I was struck by a few lines that stated dad was upset that on one of the last time I was to see him I had a very blank look, and wasn’t showing any emotion. But inside I was crying and no idea why I didn’t show it. I have lived with this guilt I guess from that day. We did get to visit one last time and he told me he was proud of me, I told him I would never forget him. He was funny, kind, and a gentle soul, always wanting to help those around him. We were close growing up, but somewhere along the way I started to rebel and pretend I didn’t like to hang out with him doing chores around the yard, but honestly these were my favourite times. He had a habit of making up songs, one was called ‘Scott of the Arctic”, he was singing it one day and for some reason I told him I hated that song and never want to hear it again. I think I wanted to go play with...

Jan 29, 2025 double track fat bike ride, exploring in K Country AB.

Jan 29, 2025 double track fat bike ride, exploring in K country AB. Beautiful spring like temps. 1 st time on these trails, can't wait to go back and ride more. The days leading up to this adventure had been very emotional. It was a year ago, Jan 28, 2024 that I was readmitted to the hospital after complications from the Whipple Surgery . I had no idea when I went to ER that it would be the start of a 90 day Hospital stay. What a difference a year can make, this ride helped get me out of the funk I was in. I love riding my bike. Things were seeming to be improving, the leaks and enterocutaneous fistula I had seemed to healing, and I was starting to eat more to get my strength back. On Jan18, 2024 I was prescribed Creon, a pancreatic enzyme, to help with digestion. After taking the Creon for a few days, things started to go poorly. I had strange feeling in my stomach, and the fistula went from a small pencil size hole, to a golf ball size, with a large piece of “slough”, tissue ha...