On April 17th, Dr. Swee Teh became one of just a few surgeons in the world to perform a minimally-invasive Whipple operation. The operation was performed at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

The Whipple procedure is a major surgery used to treat pancreatic cancer and a number of other pancreatic diseases. It involves removing the gallbladder and part of the pancreas, followed by a very complex reconstruction of the digestive tract. Until now, the Whipple was done only as an open procedure, with a large incision, a long hospital stay, and an even longer recovery period.

But by combining laparoscopy with his skills in hepatobiliary (liver, bile ducts, and gallbladder) surgery, Dr. Teh, a surgeon with Northwest Surgical Specialists, was able to remove a tumor from his patient’s pancreas using thin instruments inserted through small incisions in the abdomen. As a result, his patient, 66-year-old Julian Torre, was able to recover with just an overnight stay in the hospital and with no complications from the surgery.

“I could have died with the cancer,” Torre said, “or have the surgery.” He is very happy with his decision. “Now I don’t have to have any chemo or radiation or anything. I am pretty much brand new.”

Dr. Teh is one of only a few hepatobiliary-pancreatico (liver, bile duct and pancreas) surgical specialists in Oregon outside of Portland. He received his medical degree from University College of Dublin in Ireland. Teh completed a general surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, followed by a two-year research fellowship at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. He went on to receive further training in advanced laparoscopic techniques in hepatobiliary and esophageal-gastric surgery during a two-year fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Teh, please call Northwest Surgical Specialists at
(541) 687-1336.