Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
Diana Bohentin is enjoying life after having the Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer. »Read Diana's storyWe have a long history of being at the forefront of surgical care for pancreatic cancer. In fact, the first pancreatic duodenectomy, or Whipple procedure (surgical removal of the "head" of the pancreas, as well as the duodenum, gallbladder, and part of the common bile duct), was performed at the University of Chicago in 1937.
Experienced Surgeons
Our experience in this area draws a large volume of pancreatic cancer patients. "We know that hospital volume correlates with better outcomes," says Mitchell Posner, MD, chief of surgical oncology. Dr. Posner is a nationally known expert in pancreatic cancer surgery, with many years of experience performing the Whipple procedure and other complex surgeries.
The Whipple procedure helped Norma Langellier return to her active life. »Read Norma's storyA landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002 reported that hospitals that perform a high volume of pancreatic resections achieve, on average, a 3.8 percent mortality rate compared to hospitals that do very few pancreatic resections, which may report as much as a 16.3 percent mortality rate. "The accepted mortality rate from the surgery is 2 or 3 percent in experienced centers. We're clearly at that level," adds Dr. Posner.
