UIC News Release

A surgical team led by Dr. Pier Cristoforo Giulianotti, chief of the division of minimally invasive, general and robotic surgery at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, has performed the first fully robotic Whipple procedure in the Midwest.

The operation, also called a pancreaticoduodenectomy, is the most common surgical treatment for cancerous or benign tumors of the head of the pancreas. The procedure involves removal of the gallbladder, bile duct, part of the stomach and duodenum, and the head of the pancreas.

"The Whipple operation is one of the most demanding surgical procedures of the abdomen," said Giulianotti, the Lloyd M. Nyhus Professor of Surgery at UIC. "It generally requires a very long abdominal incision to expose the pancreas and other organs, significant manipulation of the bowel, post-operative pain, and a greater chance of complications."

In 2003, Giulianotti performed the first robotic Whipple procedure in the world while practicing in Italy. Since then, he has performed more than 40 such operations.

I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Giulianotti, a very impressive person to speak to about robotic surgery. I look forward to reading about his upcoming accomplishments.