Whipple Procedure
The Pancreatic Surgery Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center continues to grow dramatically. Annually, more than 160 major pancreatic operations are performed, clearly placing BIDMC among the highest volume pancreatic surgery centers in America. Today, BIDMC is regarded as a regional and national leader in surgical quality and management of advanced pancreatic disease.
The Whipple procedure, also called pancreaticoduodenectomy, is our most common operation (> 100 annually), and assumes the forefront in quality outcomes at BIDMC. It is a technically intricate operation for treatment and palliation of tumors of the pancreas and its surrounding structures, as well as for therapeutic relief of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Our clinical outcomes since 2001 for this procedure meet or exceed benchmark standards for any medical center across the world. Low mortality (1.6%), short length of stay (8 days), and rates for ICU admission (12%), blood transfusion (10%), and reoperation (6%) represent but a few of the exemplary outcomes our surgical specialty program has achieved.
Yet, our program continues to build on those standards of quality through innovative approaches. Through the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary team of dedicated pancreatic specialists (surgeons, pancreatologists, endoscopists, radiologists, oncologists, and anesthesiologists), a “Whipple Clinical Pathway” was developed and implemented in February 2004, for all patients undergoing this operation. Central to this pathway is the commitment to quality surgical care, achieved through patient education and standardized perioperative management. Previous patients rate our program “best-in-class”, and whole-heartedly endorse the Whipple Clinical Pathway and the successful patient-physician partnerships it fosters. Our outcomes have continued to improve, and we remain dedicated to refining and improving elements of quality and safety for pancreatic surgery. As such, our practice has integrated novel treatment initiatives (fast-track surgical management, Cyberknife radiotherapy, and standardized pain regimens), and continues to offer new hope for patients battling cancer, chronic pancreatitis, or other diseases of the pancreas.
