The Whipple procedure, also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, is named after Allen Whipple, an American surgeon who developed and refined the procedure in the 1930s.
Dr. Whipple was born in 1881 in Uxbridge, Massachusetts and died in 1963. He was a professor of surgery at Columbia University in New York and was known for his work in gastrointestinal surgery, particularly pancreatic surgery.
The Whipple procedure is a complex surgical procedure used to treat tumors and other disorders in the pancreas, duodenum, and bile duct. It involves the removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, a portion of the stomach, the gallbladder, and the bile duct. The remaining organs are then reconnected to allow for normal digestive function. The Whipple procedure is still considered the standard of care for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the pancreas and surrounding structures.
Allen Oldfather Whipple was born on January 1, 1881, in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, and grew up in Derby, Connecticut. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1908 and completed his surgical training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.
Dr. Whipple served in World War I as a surgeon with the U.S. Army Medical Corps in France. After the war, he returned to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where he became a professor of surgery and eventually rose to the position of chairman of the department.
Dr. Whipple was known for his work in gastrointestinal surgery and is credited with developing and refining the Whipple procedure, a complex surgical procedure used to treat tumors and other disorders in the pancreas, duodenum, and bile duct. He first described the procedure in a 1935 paper published in the Annals of Surgery, and it has since become the standard of care for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the pancreas and surrounding structures.
In addition to his work in surgical oncology, Dr. Whipple was also an accomplished medical historian and published several papers on the history of medicine. He was a member of numerous medical societies and received many honors and awards for his contributions to medicine and surgery.
Dr. Whipple died on April 6, 1963, in New York City. Today, he is remembered as a pioneer in the field of surgical oncology and as the namesake of the Whipple procedure, one of the most important surgical innovations of the 20th century.