Hello! I had my Whipple surgery in 2024 at age 67. It was an open Whipple. The surgery lasted about four hours and I stayed in the hospital four days. I had a cancerous cyst on the head of my pancreas which had not spread to any other organs (stage 1A). My amazing surgeon (Dr. D. Evans at Froedtert & MCW) was able to keep my stomach intact which made a huge impact on my recovery. He also had me walking the day after my surgery. I also did several sessions of physical therapy to start strengthening my abdominals. Before my surgery I got in the best shape possible and cleaned out my diet with clean foods. The recovery is a journey and does not happen overnight. I have been cancer free to date and grateful to be alive. This is a great forum to ask any questions / concerns as you go through your surgery and recovery. Whishing you the best!
Will the Whipple procedure will be done robotically?
The hospital it is done at and the age of the patient.
It’s quite a complex surgery, after all.
I had a robotic Whipple myself when I was 48. I spent about 10 days at Mayo for the procedure. It was a journey, but I'm grateful for the care I received.
I loved when they would seat me by the window so I could soak in the breathtaking view of the sky and mountains. Every time I looked out, I felt a deep sense of wonder at the beauty of our planet and a profound gratitude for being here to experience it all.
I had a consultation about the procedure before it was done and they had all the information in a packet and we spoke about the details for about an hour, including time frame in the hospital.
My stay was 6 days. I had Open Whipple Surgery at Mayo on a Tuesday, and was home the following Monday. I was 74 yr old and in very good health otherwise. I could have gone home a couple days sooner but my stomach drain was misbehaving and needed additional monitoring.
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I stayed 5 days but it could be 2 weeks.
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3 ReactionsThank you for sharing your journey.
Hello! I had my Whipple surgery in 2024 at age 67. It was an open Whipple. The surgery lasted about four hours and I stayed in the hospital four days. I had a cancerous cyst on the head of my pancreas which had not spread to any other organs (stage 1A). My amazing surgeon (Dr. D. Evans at Froedtert & MCW) was able to keep my stomach intact which made a huge impact on my recovery. He also had me walking the day after my surgery. I also did several sessions of physical therapy to start strengthening my abdominals. Before my surgery I got in the best shape possible and cleaned out my diet with clean foods. The recovery is a journey and does not happen overnight. I have been cancer free to date and grateful to be alive. This is a great forum to ask any questions / concerns as you go through your surgery and recovery. Whishing you the best!
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3 ReactionsNo at MSK
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Is the whipple going to be done at Mayo?
If so you can go into the Mayo app and ask your surgeons nurse any questions you need to know.
@azsunshine7 thank you
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My stay was 6 days. I had Open Whipple Surgery at Mayo on a Tuesday, and was home the following Monday. I was 74 yr old and in very good health otherwise. I could have gone home a couple days sooner but my stomach drain was misbehaving and needed additional monitoring.
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2 ReactionsIt is a blessing to be eligible for this surgery! 🙏
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