Whipple is a pioneering surgeon who was professor of surgery at University of Chicago. In addition to being a humble man, he didn’t want his procedure named after him. The Whipple procedure is now known as such because his colleagues insistently called it by that name continue.
What does the Whipple’s full name mean?
The full name for a Whipple is a pancreaticoduodenectomy. A Whipple surgery is an extensive procedure to remove the pancreas head, first portion of the small-intestine (duodenum), gallbladder and the bile drain. It is important to reattach the organs to ensure that you can digest your food after surgery.
Whipple history
Whipple can also be called by different names.
Whipple resection
Whipple procedure
Duodenopancreatectomy
Pancreatoduodenectomy
Why is this procedure called the Whipple?
Allen Oldfather Whipple is the doctor who invented it. Allen Oldfather Whipple performed it for the first time in 1935. Today, the surgery is used to treat pancreatic head cancer.
The Whipple and other medical techniques are named in honor of their inventors. These are some of the more well-known names:
The Heimlich Manoeuvre,is a procedure that is used to expel a foreign item from an individual’s airway.
Cesarean sections, are surgical procedures to deliver babies that are too large for the birth canal.
Salk vaccine, that is a vaccination against polio.
In honor of their contribution to medicine, the procedures bear their names. In addition, they serve to highlight the importance of research in medicine and innovations.
Only cancerous patients can undergo Whipple surgery?
Whipple treatment is not limited to cancer. Other conditions can be treated with the Whipple Procedure, like:
Chronic pancreatitis
Tumors in the Bile Duct
Tumors of ampulla Vater (the opening at which the bile and pancreatic drains meet).
Tumors in the Duodenum
However, Whipple may not be the best choice for all patients. In certain cases, chemotherapy or radiation may be the better option.
Talk to your doctor if you’re considering the Whipple Procedure. Discuss all of the possible options as well the potential risks and benefits.
What are some indications for Whipple Surgery?
Whipple Surgery is a major procedure to remove the head and first part (duodenum) of the small intestinal tract, as well as the gallbladder. To allow patients to have normal digestion, all remaining organs must be attached.
Whipple surgery is commonly performed to treat head-of-pancreas pancreatic tumors. But it is also used to treat conditions such as:
Chronic pancreatitis
Tumors in the Bile Duct
Tumors within the ampulla Vater (the opening at which the bile canal and pancreatic tube meet).
Tumors of Duodenum
Whipple Surgery is performed for the following reasons:
A pancreatic tumor that only affects the head of your pancreas
Pancreatitis chronic that does not respond well to other treatment
Thyroid tumors that have a confined location in the head or neck of the pancreas
Duodenum tumors limited to the head pancreas
Whipple may not be the best choice for all patients. In certain cases, chemotherapy or radiation may be the better option.
Whipple has some risks and complications.
Infection
Water leakage after surgery
Pancreatitis
The Diabetes
Intestinal obstruction
You can also read about Death
Whipple is a major procedure, so it is vital to know the possible risks and complications. This procedure is effective in treating pancreatic disease and some other ailments.