Pancreas

Prior to your operation, the surgeon and anesthesiologist meet with you and your family in the preoperative area to answer any last-minute questions.

The anesthesia team takes you to the operating room, where they put you to sleep with intravenous (IV) medications. The anesthesiologist also places a breathing tube so you can get oxygen during the operation. The surgical team inserts special IV lines, a bladder catheter and a stomach tube (through your nose) after you are asleep.

Most patients wake up with a small tube in their nose to drain the stomach (after open surgery), an abdominal drain and a tube to drain from the bladder. These tubes are almost always removed before the patient leaves the hospital.

Following the surgery, you may experience pain from the incision. You can resume eating and drinking by mouth several days after surgery. At first, the stomach may not empty well, causing a bloated or full feeling. In some cases, medication is necessary to help your digestive system work properly. You may have a decreased appetite, which may take several weeks to improve.

Recovery time depends on whether the surgery was minimally invasive or open and what type of procedure was performed. Cystogastrostomies are outpatient procedures that require minimal downtime, while partial and total pancreatectomies require recovery time in the hospital as well as a period of at least four weeks at home before resuming normal activities.

An abdominal nerve block is typically done by the anesthesia team in the OR after you go to sleep. Postsurgical pain is initially controlled with a patient-controlled IV pain pump. We take great care to work with your nurses and treatment team to ensure your pain is managed adequately.

Medications can be taken by mouth after eating is resumed. Patients go home from the hospital with a limited supply of the appropriate pain pills that they will take by mouth.

It is generally best to eat a bland diet for the first several weeks after surgery. Nutritional supplements are sometimes helpful for improving strength and maximizing the healing process. Some patients will require enzyme pills taken with meals to replace what the pancreas normally makes. Patients receive instructions on how to maintain a proper diet (including recommended supplements) before leaving the hospital.

Most patients do not need a feeding tube. However, if one is placed, you and your family will be educated on its particulars while in the hospital, and a home infusion company will be arranged to help manage and troubleshoot it at home following discharge.

Complete recovery from surgery can take up to 6-8 weeks. But in rare cases, it can take up to six months to recover.

Patients may need to take a daily vitamin with iron and a daily medication to reduce stomach acid. Some patients temporarily have trouble regulating their blood sugar levels. Your doctor will determine if you need long-term medication to control blood sugar. Overweight patients and those with pre-existing diabetes may require insulin after their surgery.

Our goal is for you to return to normal activity with time, and we want you to start by getting out of bed and walking the day after your operation. Having said that, you should not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, and you should avoid any strenuous physical activity for at least two months after your surgery. Please check with your surgeon before driving, working or participating in sexual activity.

Pancreatic surgery is considered a major operation, but almost all patients survive the procedure. About one-third of patients may have a complication from the operation. Complications can be major or minor and may include bleeding, infection, clots, pneumonia and heart attacks. We can usually manage most of these problems without having to perform another surgery.

Yes. Most patients return for a routine postoperative checkup within three weeks of surgery. Follow-up after this will depend on how rapid your recovery is and whether you need any additional treatment.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have:

• A fever of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher
• Worsening abdominal pain
• Shortness of breath/chest pain
• Persistent nausea/vomiting

If you have any questions or concerns, please talk with your surgeon or nurse. You can reach us at (225) 769-5656, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After 5:00 p.m., during the weekend and on holidays, you can call the same number and speak to the doctor who is on call for your surgeon.

Researchers have found that patients tend to have better outcomes from a Whipple procedure when they go to a high-volume hospital (16 or more Whipple procedures a year) vs. a low-volume hospital. Essentially, this means that a surgeon who performs this procedure more frequently is more likely to provide better patient outcomes.

If you have been diagnosed with a pancreatic pseudocyst, your doctor may recommend an observation period to monitor the growth. However, if the cyst is large and more likely to rupture or if it is compressing other organs, your doctor will likely recommend draining it.