Learn how multidisciplinary teams at Mayo Clinic are leading the way in the treatment of pancreatic cancer with complex operations such as the Whipple procedure. Discover how our expert team approaches complex or previously inoperable cases and provides creative solutions.

Susanne Warner, M.D., Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgeon: Often when we're facing a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, surgery in combination with chemotherapy is our only shot at cure. Often that means a Whipple procedure. A Whipple procedure is one of the most complicated surgical procedures out there. It involves removing the pancreas head and neck in addition to some neighbors, including portions of the small intestine, the bile duct and the gallbladder. Mayo Clinic has always been on the forefront of surgical innovation. Pancreas surgery is no exception. We were early adopters of laparoscopic, minimally invasive Whipple procedures, and we continue to be leaders in that field. That means that when a patient walks through our doors, if it's appropriate, they are candidates for a big surgery with little incisions. Sometimes inoperable at one place is not inoperable at Mayo Clinic. That being said, if you are met with an inoperable case, that doesn't mean there's no options. That does mean that we need to be creative and we have the right team in place to do just that.