Surgical Outcomes of Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple Procedure) in Pancreatic Head Cancer: A Single-Center Experience

Afroza Tajuddin; Afshan Shaikh; Sabah Sattar; Rooh Ali; Niamat Ullah; Muhammad Abdullah Javed

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i8.2104

Authors

Afroza Tajuddin Master of Science in Nursing, Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Afshan Shaikh Department of Surgery, Family Care Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sabah Sattar Department of Surgery, Surgical Unit-II, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Rooh Ali Department of Surgery, Ali’s Hospital, Nawabshah, Pakistan.
Niamat Ullah Department of Surgery, Lady Reading Hospital Medical Teaching Institution (MTI), Peshawar, Pakistan.
Muhammad Abdullah Javed Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i8.2104

Keywords:

Pancreaticoduodenectomy, Pancreatic head cancer, Whipple procedure, Postoperative complications, Surgical outcomes, Perioperative mortality.

Abstract

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) remains the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic head cancer, yet outcomes in resource-limited settings remain underexplored. This retrospective quantitative study was conducted at the Minar Cancer Center, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, and included 120 patients who underwent Whipple procedures between 2019 and 2023. Perioperative outcomes showed a mean operative time of 365 minutes, mean blood loss of 820 ml, mean hospital stay of 14.2 days, and a 30-day mortality rate of 5.0%. Nearly half of the patients (48.3%) developed at least one postoperative complication, with delayed gastric emptying (18.3%) and pancreatic fistula (15.0%) being most frequent, followed by wound infection, pulmonary complications, and hemorrhage. Statistical analysis revealed that older age, comorbidities, and advanced tumor stage were significantly associated with higher morbidity, while gender was not a predictor. Compared with international benchmarks, mortality rates were acceptable; however, morbidity rates remained high, reflecting the need for improved perioperative care pathways. This study concludes that Whipple procedures can be performed safely at a regional cancer center in South Punjab, though enhanced infection control, risk stratification, and implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are essential to improve outcomes. The findings provide critical locally relevant data that can inform surgical practice, guide health policy, and contribute to national and global benchmarks for pancreatic cancer surgery.

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