What is the Whipple Procedure?

In this video, Washington University surgeon William Hawkins, MD, explains the Whipple procedure, which is performed to remove cancer from the head of the pancreas. Hawkins and his colleagues complete about 125 Whipples a year, making the Siteman Cancer Center one of the highest-volume centers for this type of surgery nationwide. These surgeons pioneered a modification to the Whipple procedure that has resulted in the lowest fistula rate any large group (1.5 percent compared to 15 percent).