A pancreaticoduodenectomy, also known as a Whipple procedure, is a complex surgical operation often used to treat certain cancers. It involves the removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), the gallbladder, and the bile duct. Sometimes part of the stomach and surrounding lymph nodes are also removed. This surgery is primarily utilized in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, but it can also be used for other conditions such as bile duct cancer and duodenal cancer.