Diet Following Pancreatic Surgery

The following are some concerns regarding diet following pancreatic surgery.

Will I become diabetic after a Whipple operation?

During the Whipple operation part of the pancreas, the head of the pancreas, is removed. Pancreatic tissue produces insulin that is required for blood sugar control. When pancreatic tissue is removed the body releases less insulin and the risk of developing diabetes is present.

Our experience has been that patients who are diabetic at the time of surgery or who have an abnormal blood sugar level that is controlled on a diet prior to surgery have a high chance for the severity of the diabetes becoming worse after the surgery. On the other hand patients who have completely normal blood sugar prior to surgery with no history of diabetes and do not have chronic pancreatitis have a low probability of developing diabetes after the Whipple operation.

Will my life be altered very much after the Whipple operation? Will I be able to do all the things that I can do now?

There is acceptable alteration of lifestyle after the Whipple operation. Most patients are able to go back to their normal functional levels.

The morbidity is mainly in the wound. This will restrict mobility for up to one month. Also because part of the stomach has been removed, the advise is mainly to consume small frequent meals. You may have to eat up to 6 meals a day. Also, you may be put on pancreatic enzyme therapy. This helps improve absorption. If you require insulin therapy you will have to take medication or insulin injections.

You will need top avoid food with a high fat content. Like durians and nuts and avocado.

In general you will go back to a normal lifestyle.

What are the long-term complications of the Whipple operation?

Some of the long-term consequences of the Whipple operation include the following:

• Mal-absorption: The pancreas produces enzymes required for digestion of food. In some patients removal of part of the pancreas during the Whipple operation can lead to a diminished production of these enzymes. Patients complain of bulky diarrhea type of stool that is very oily. Long-term treatment with oral pancreatic enzyme supplementation usually provides relief from this problem.
• Alteration in diet: After the Whipple operation we generally recommend that the patients ingest smaller meals and snack between meals to allow better absorption of the food and to minimize symptoms of feeling of being bloated or getting too full.
• Loss of weight: It is common for patients to lose up to 5 to 10% of their body weight compared to their weight prior to their illness. The weight loss usually stabilizes very rapidly and most patients after a small amount of initial weight loss are able to maintain their weight and do well.