Mini-Whipple is surgery used to treat cancer of the pancreas. The procedure involves the removal of part of the pancreas and the digestive system, including the gallbladder, nearby lymph nodes, and part of the small intestine.
The Mini-Whipple differs from the traditional Whipple procedure in that it spares removal of part of the stomach - allowing the patient to eat and digest food more normally after the surgery.
This is a highly specialized surgery and should only be performed at high-volume medical centers, like MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, by surgeons with advanced training and expertise in these procedures.