SURGICAL TECHNIQUES FOR PANCREAS PRESERVATION The pancreas plays
an important role in the digestion of food and in regulation of
blood sugar. Loss of pancreatic tissue after surgical removal
increases the risks for the development of diabetes mellitus and
mal-absorption of food. Preservation of pancreatic tissue is an
important goal during surgery for pancreatic and biliary
diseases to reduce the risks of loss of pancreatic tissue.
During the Whipple operation, organs that play a vital role in
digestive function are often removed. The organs removed include
part of the pancreas and bile duct, and all of the duodenum. The
duodenum appears to play an important role in regulating the
motility of the stomach and the upper gastrointestinal tract. It
is thought that partial or complete loss of the duodenum is
responsible for the delay in emptying of the stomach that often
occurs after the Whipple operation. For malignant tumors
affecting the duodenum, head of pancreas, and the distal (bottom
end) of the bile duct,