Recovery From Whipple Surgery
-
-
A whipple surgery is done to help with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The procedure starts with a look at the pancreas to find the cancerous or problem area. If the issue is localized, then a part of the small intestines and the section of the pancreas that is attached to it are removed. After surgery, the patient has a recovery period. Some of this is done in the hospital. In post-op, medical personnel keep bandages clean and replaced as often as needed while keeping a close watch on the patient to make sure he comes out of the anesthesia alright.
-
Once out of post-op, the patient is transferred to a room and is monitored by nurses and other medical staff. A hospital stay after whipple surgery is normally around 2 weeks but can sometimes be longer. Things that hospital personnel are watching for include leaks in the pancreas, infection and internal bleeding. The patient is also monitored to see if he develops diabetes, which is sometimes a side effect of the surgery.
-
-
When the patient is released from the hospital, she goes home to continue recovery. Pain in the stomach area is common, and medication is prescribed to help manage it. The patient is informed as to what to watch out for such as pain, swelling or drainage, and when to contact a doctor. There is also a trial-and-error period with foods until the patient can figure out which ones do not aggravate the system. Nausea can be a side effect of the surgery for a few weeks. These issues take about 1 month to work through, and then the patient will start to regain energy and feel like doing things.
-
