Occasional sharp back pain after whipple

Long shot on relevance, but I did have similar, occasionally acute pain in my back the first few months after Whipple (open).

I've had a chronic bad back, but my Whipple week in an uncomfortable hospital bed was the initial trigger for it getting worse. Even after I got home and into a good bed, the "damage" was already done. Several weeks of sleeping in odd positions to alleviate pain where the Whipple incision was healing piled on top of that. It was worrisome for a while because it was the same area where back pain is often reported prior to a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

I was lucky enough to discover that it was all muscular. Massage and physical therapy managed to untangle all the knots in my mid-back muscles and provide some relief. I hope you're able to find an equally easy fix, but if massage/PT don't provide it, you'll probably still feel better for giving it a try. 🙂

Thank you!

I have had similar pain and my doctor said that it’s the pancreas leaning on a bundle of nerves called the Celia plexus. A prescribed extended oxycodone twice a day and then another 5 mg immediate release for breakthrough pain. I’m tired of the side effects of being on narcotics so we’re gonna go ahead, and put in a nerve block. I don’t know if that’s what you’re having but I know it is severe and short when I did get it.

Thank you! Sounds similar.

I can relate to dealing with mysterious pain post-surgery, it's frustrating when you don't have clear answers. After a surgery of my own, I had unexplained pain that turned out to be muscular, and physical therapy made a big difference. Exploring massage or a nerve block, like others mentioned, could be worth discussing with your doctor. Sometimes, it’s just about finding the right approach to get relief.

My partner still has “pain attacks” like you described, 1.5 years post-whipple. Wish I had solutions to share but I’m just writing to say you’re not alone. And hoping for the wisdom of others.

@ibizobysa59, welcome. Did you also have Whipple surgery for pancreatic cancer? How are you doing now?

I had a similar pain after my Whipple, but it was directly related to the spinal tap for surgery pain. Come to find out the anesthesiologist who did the spinal tap missed several times and got into spinal column Improperly.

I am in the medical profession & worked with patients who had whipple procedures. On Dec 11, 2023 I had Whipple surgery for a huge duodenal mass that encompassed a great deal of my abdomen requiring the removal & resections .
I too had no symptoms at all except back pain!
Almost a year post op ; still recovering & continue to have back pain!
I have had months of PT sessions, 2 sets of trigger point injections & 1 ablation .. helped some but still have the back pain .
I use heat, ice, & tens unit daily to help with pain! I walk daily , try to do Core PT exercises 2-3 times a week & do struggle thru it !
I chose not to go with narcotics but use 600mg Tylenol…helps some but this unfortunately is one of the many things that come with Whipple surgery ; they don’t know if it eventually will go away but it saved my life !
Hope my solutions help..

Hello @lesliepansky and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate you sharing your experience with back pain after a Whipple procedure. It helps to share experiences on this forum, so others know some methods that can be tried to deal with this problem.

Besides the back pain, how are you feeling otherwise? Are you having regular follow-ups?