Pancreas surgery

You may be told if you have an option for surgery at your outpatient appointment or in the hospital. Treatment, diagnosis and surgical options are discussed amongst the multidisciplinary team. Not everyone is suitable for surgery and this is considered on an individual basis.

You may have lots of questions about your surgery, what it involves and what are the risks that are associated to your surgery. We recommend that you make a list of all your concerns so that these can be answered.

Pancreas Operations

All the pancreas operations are major operations and will require you to recover in hospital for a period of time. Sometimes a diagnosis may not be as clear as we would like, or we may not be able to perform the operation, or we may have to make the diagnosis in the operating room. This will be explained to you before your surgery.

Listed below are some information booklets about some of the pancreas operations. We would recommend that you take time to read this booklet and write any additional questions you may have down. 

Some of the major pancreas operations will require you to recover in our High Dependency Unit or in the Intensive Care Unit.

As with any operation, complications are always possible, and some of these can be serious. Here is a brief overview of some of the serious complications and this is described in further detail in the leaflets listed. Some of the risks associated with pancreatic surgery are: –   

  • 5% mortality (death) rate related to the pancreas surgery. This figure is a rough estimate based on a worldwide database
  • Bleeding
  • Infection
  • Leak
  • Pnemonia, heart problems, stroke, embolism

During your hospital stay some patients, not all, may require a blood transfusion.  Where possible we will discuss this with you.  

General Surgery Operations

Not all operations require you to stay overnight in hospital and you may be treated as ‘Day Surgery’. 

Steps for attending surgery

  1. On arrival, check in at the reception desk and your details will be confirmed. You can expect to be in the unit for approximately eight hours, but your length of stay will depend on the procedure you’re having.
  2. We have a number of theatres running at the same time. This may mean that patients arriving after you may be called through first. If you have any concerns about your wait, please speak to any member of the team.
  3. Prior to your procedure you’ll be seen by a member of the nursing team, an anaesthetist and a surgeon. You may be asked to repeat information you have already given, particularly to confirm your name, date of birth and allergies.
  4. The nursing team will complete your admission documents and carry out any tests requested by the clinicians. The anaesthetist will discuss which anaesthetic will be best for you. The surgeon will discuss the procedure and obtain your consent.
  5. Operating lists start at 08:30. Patients are called to the theatre in list order. Occasionally the list order will have to change. This may be due to a number of factors, for example patients who fail to attend, or a clinical need of another patient.
  6. When it is your turn go to the theatre, you will be taken to the anaesthetic room and checked, in readiness for your anaesthetic and procedure. This will be done by the anaesthetic assistant and the anaesthetist.
  7. After the procedure you will be taken to the recovery area. The length of time you are here will depend on your procedure and the type of anaesthetic you have had. After a period of monitoring you will go back to the ward.
  8. We run a nurse-led discharge system, so you may not be reviewed by a doctor before you are discharged. Before discharge you will be:
    • Offered tea and toast/biscuits
    • Given any prescribed medication
    • Given discharge advice

You may have more questions about your surgery. Listed below are some of the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust leaflets to help you with that extra information you may require. We have split the sections into 2 sections (before surgery and hospital stay).  Please navigate to the ‘After you Surgery’ page to help you with the aftercare information.

Before Surgery

Hospital Stay

After your surgery

Going home

You may be asked to go to our discharge lounge once you have been told you can go home.  Please arrange your own transport home, where possible. Useful information about the discharge can be found in this leaflet.

At Home

You will continue to recover at home once you have been told by the medical team you are safe to be discharged from hospital. We would advise that you have support from your family and friends to help you recover. 

After major surgery you will not be able to drive until you can perform an emergency stop, not allowed to lift anything heavy for 6 weeks. 

You will also need small daily injections, for a total of 28 days after your operation, to prevent a venous thrombotic embolism occurring.  Our nurses can show you or a family member how to administer these.

Please contact your General Practitioner if you have any new symptoms after your surgery. If you have: –

  • A fever (temperature above 38’C)
  • Redness or leakage from the wound
  • Nausea / vomiting
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
  • Any new or unexplained symptoms

Follow up appointment

Usually your first appointment after your operation will be between 2-8 weeks depending up why you had surgery and if you had any complications with your surgery. Your operation may be discussed in detail and we will hopefully have confirmation from the pathology laboratories what type of tissue we have removed at the time of your operation.  At this appointment you will be advised if we need to see you again or if we need to continue monitoring your treatment pathway.  You may also require further tests and scans before the appointments.  If you require any further information or need to cancel your out-patient appointments please visit our ‘contact us’ page or the ‘support page’.

You may require additional support services when you go home

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