Pregnancy after Whipple procedure: a new case and review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Whipple procedure is a complex operation usually performed to treat periampullary neoplasms. There are only four case reports of five pregnancies after Whipple procedure, with limited evidence about how to manage pregnancy after this surgery.

Case: A 28-year-old gravida 5 Para 2022 presented to our hospital at 20 weeks with worsening depression. She had a history of Whipple for a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas followed by two pregnancies. In the first, she underwent successful induction of labor at 38 weeks for pregestational diabetes. In her second pregnancy, she had multiple admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis. She was scheduled for induction of labor at 35 weeks but given unstable lie, underwent cesarean delivery.

Conclusion: Women with a history of Whipple procedure generally have successful pregnancies with the most common antenatal complications including diabetes mellitus, abdominal pain and pancreatitis/cholangitis.

Keywords:

• Pancreaticoduodenectomy
• pregnancy
• solid pseudopapillary neoplasm
• Whipple procedure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.