The Wipple

Don Sterner:

The whipple varies a little from patient to patient and from one surgeon to another. In my case they removed about 75% of the pancreas, the duodenum, much of the judenum, about 1/2 of the stomach and the gall bladder. The amount of pancreas removed depends upon the amount involved with disease. In some cases, no stomach is removed. Even though a large portion of my pancreas was taken, I am not diabetic.

On 28 Jan 1999 20:30:32 GMT, dijjie@aol.com (Dijjie) wrote:

hello again....some history: i was diagnosed in northshore hospital/L.I., N.Y. and was advised that there was a 40%mortality rate with the bile duct cancer/whipple procedure..during the surgery and in the recovery. i went for a 2nd opinion and was directed to dr. blumgart. the percentages at memorial sloan kettering are 1% mortality rate with this diagnosis....my momma didn't raise a dope so you know who i went with. he is well known on the east coast and in latin america. as a matter of fact, he taped my surgery and uses it as a learning tool.if i can be of any help...pls emailme ann

Don Sterner reply:

As you discovered, there is a WIDE variation in mortality rates for the whipple depending upon whether it is done in small hospitals by inexperienced surgeons or done in a major facility where many of them are done annualy. The 40% figure is much higher than what I had hear before, though. Previously, I'd read that the ratios were more like 1% vs 24-25%. If Northshore themselves states that their experience is a 40% rate, you certainly took the right action. As you search for information, you might wish to look at some of the available sites for pancreatic cancer. Much of the treatment and effects are similar between bile duct cancer and pancreatic cancer.