Pancreas Treatments

The most common operation for cancers in the head of the pancreas. It involves removing the head of the pancreas, part of the small intestine, bile duct, and gallbladder.

This complex surgery is technically demanding and requires careful reconstruction of the digestive system. When performed by experienced surgeons, it offers the best potential for cure in patients with early, localised disease.

This procedure is performed when disease affects the body or tail of the pancreas. It involves the removal of the distal portion of the pancreas, and often the spleen as well. It is commonly performed for localised pancreatic cancers, cysts, or neuroendocrine tumours in these regions.

These procedures are reserved for more extensive disease, where a significant portion, or the entirety, of the pancreas needs to be removed.

• A subtotal pancreatectomy removes most of the pancreas but preserves a small portion of the gland.
• A total pancreatectomy removes the entire pancreas, along with parts of the stomach, small intestine, bile duct, gallbladder, and spleen.

While rare, total pancreatectomy is sometimes necessary in widespread disease or high-risk precancerous conditions. Patients will require lifelong insulin and pancreatic enzyme replacement following this surgery.

For cancers located in the body or tail of the pancreas that are close to major blood vessels or lymph nodes, our team may perform a Radical Antegrade Modular Pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) to improve margin clearance and staging accuracy.