Whipple procedure

Description

Whipple procedure: Radical pancreatoduodenectomy for cancer of pancreas. Excision of the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, part of the common bile duct, the duodenum, and sometimes a portion of the stomach, with gastrojejunostomy, choledochojejunostomy, and pancreaticojejunostomy.

History

1898 – Italian surgeon Alessandro Codivilla (1861-1912) performed the first reported pancreaticoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the pancreas. He removed parts of the pancreas, duodenum, distal stomach and distal bile duct and performed Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy and cholecystojejunostomy. The pancreatic stump was not closed. The patient died on day 18.

1909 – Walther Kausch performed the first successful partial pancreatoduodenectomy (excision of the duodenum and a portion of the pancreas in two stages), for ampullary cancer. Published in 1912

1934 – Whipple

Associated Persons

• Alessandro Codivilla (1861-1912)
• Walther Kausch (1867-1928)
• William Stewart Halsted (1852-1922)
• Allen Oldfather Whipple (1881-1963)

Alternative names

• Pancreaticoduodenectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy
• Kausch-Whipple operation

References

Historical references

• Codivilla A. Contributo alla chirurgia gastrica [Contribution to gastric surgery]. Rendiconti statistici della Sezione Chirurgica dell’Ospedale di Imola. 1898.
• Kausch W. Das Carcinom der Papilla duodeni und seine radikale Entfernung. Beiträge zur klinischen Chirurgie. 1912; 78: 439-486.
• Whipple AO. Parsons WB, Mullins CR. Treatment of carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. Annals of Surgery. 1935;102(4): 763-779.

Reviews references

• Sauvé L. Des pancréatectomies et spécialement de la pancréatectomie céphalique. Revue de Chirurgie 1908; 37(1): 113–152 and 335–385.
• Hirschel G. Die Resektion des Duodenums mit der Papille wegen Karzinoms. Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift. 1914; 61: 1728-1729.
• Tenani O. Contributo alla chirurgia della papilla del Vater. Policlinico 1922;29:291-300
• Dencks G. Beitrag zur Diagnose und operativen Behandlung maligner Tumoren der Papilla Vateri und des Pankreaskopfes. Deutsche Zeitschrift für chirurgie 1929;213: 147-158
• Brunschwig A. Resection of head of pancreas and duodenum for carcinoma – pancreatoduodenectomy. Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics 1937; 65: 681-684
• Peters JH, Carey LC. Historical review of pancreaticoduodenectomy. Am J Surg. 1991; 161(2): 219-225
• Bassin A, O’Leary JP. The first report of a successful pancreaticoduodenectomy. Am Surg. 1995; 61(9): 845-846
• Fingerhut A, Vassiliu P, Dervenis C, Alexakis N, Leandros E. What is in a word: Pancreatoduodenectomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy? Surgery. 2007; 142(3): 428-429.
• Schnelldorfer T, Adams DB, Warshaw AL, Lillemoe KD, Sarr MG. Forgotten pioneers of pancreatic surgery: beyond the favorite few. Ann Surg. 2008; 247(1): 191-202.
• Are C, Dhir M, Ravipati L. History of pancreaticoduodenectomy: early misconceptions, initial milestones and the pioneers. HPB (Oxford). 2011; 13(6): 377-384.