Pancreatic Cancer Surgery | Dr. Ashok Kumar, Lucknow

Pancreatic Cancer Surgery

Expert Surgical Oncology by Dr. Ashok Kumar, MCh SGPGI

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What is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis due to late diagnosis. Most present at advanced stages. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) is only curative option for head tumors. Dr. Ashok Kumar specializes in this complex surgery.

Symptoms & Risk Factors

  • Painless jaundice
  • Abdominal pain
  • Weight loss
  • Diabetes
  • Risk: Smoking, chronic pancreatitis, family history

Surgical Treatment

Whipple Procedure (Pancreaticoduodenectomy)

Removes pancreatic head, duodenum, common bile duct. Creates new connections to small intestine. Complex surgery requiring expertise. Dr. Ashok Kumar has extensive experience with excellent morbidity and mortality outcomes.

Distal Pancreatectomy

For body/tail cancers. Dr. Ashok Kumar performs with en bloc resection of involved organs for complete oncological resection.

Recovery & Outcomes

Hospital stay 7-10 days. Full recovery 8-12 weeks. Complication rates manageable with experienced team. Five-year survival post-Whipple: 20-25%. Adjuvant chemotherapy improves outcomes. Multidisciplinary approach optimizes results.

Related Procedures

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Phone: 05226664444

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Dr. Ashok Kumar

Surgical Gastroenterologist

  • MCh - SGPGI
  • FRCS
  • FACS
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About pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer starts in the cells of the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach. The most common type, adenocarcinoma, begins in the ducts that carry digestive juices. Because the pancreas lies deep inside the abdomen, early cancers often cause few symptoms, which is why many are found at a later stage.

Risk factors

  • Smoking, the most important avoidable risk factor
  • Long-standing chronic pancreatitis
  • Diabetes, particularly new-onset diabetes in older adults
  • Obesity
  • Family history of pancreatic cancer or certain inherited syndromes
  • Increasing age

Symptoms

  • Painless jaundice: yellow eyes and skin, dark urine, pale stools and itching
  • Upper abdominal pain spreading to the back
  • Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
  • New-onset diabetes
  • Oily stools, nausea or vomiting

These symptoms have many possible causes, but jaundice or unexplained weight loss should always be investigated promptly.

Diagnosis and staging

A contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen is the main test to find the tumour and assess whether it can be removed. Endoscopic ultrasound, sometimes with a needle biopsy, MRI and blood tests including the tumour marker CA 19-9 may also be used. Staging decides whether the cancer is resectable (removable), borderline resectable, locally advanced or spread to other organs.

Treatment

Treatment is planned by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists and radiologists.

  • Surgery: for tumours in the head of the pancreas, the Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy); for tumours in the body or tail, distal pancreatectomy.
  • Chemotherapy before and/or after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence, or as the main treatment when surgery is not possible.
  • Radiotherapy in selected cases.
  • Relief of symptoms: stents to relieve jaundice or bowel blockage, pain control and nutritional support.

Support and follow-up

Recovery after pancreatic surgery takes several weeks, and nutritional support is important. Regular follow-up with scans and blood tests helps detect any recurrence early.

Frequently asked questions

Can pancreatic cancer be removed with surgery?

Surgery is possible when the tumour has not spread to distant organs and does not involve major blood vessels. Your team will review the scans to decide.

What is the Whipple procedure?

It is an operation that removes the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gallbladder and part of the bile duct, followed by reconnection of the digestive tract.

Is chemotherapy always needed?

For most patients, chemotherapy is part of treatment, either before or after surgery, because it lowers the chance of the cancer returning.

Related pages

Book a consultation: call 0522-666-4444 or use the request call back form on this page. In an emergency, come straight to the 24/7 emergency department at Charak Hospital, Hardoi Road, Dubagga, Lucknow.