Department of Pancreatic Surgery @ Ospedale San Raffaele
The Department of Pancreatic Surgery of San Raffaele is one of the first in Europe in the number of operations and low mortality. The high level of experience and specialization of the unit is proven by more than 1000 pancreatic resections performed over the last 3 years. The volume of surgeries is a key indicator since pancreatic diseases are rare, diagnostics are difficult, and pancreatic surgery is considered the most complex of all abdominal surgery.
Equally fundamental is the multidisciplinary approach. This is why the Department of Pancreatic Surgery collaborates with other units of the hospital within the Pancreas Center, also directed by Prof. Massimo Falconi, where each case is discussed collegially by surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists, endocrinologists, nutritionists and psychologists.
The quality of care offered is also achieved through the hospital's expertise in pancreatic endoscopy, essential diagnostic testing, and the work of the Medical Oncology Unit, which is a national reference center in the oncological treatment of pancreatic cancer. It is thanks to this close collaboration that we are among the few centers to offer neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols (before surgery), which can improve the outcome of operations.
Our excellence in numbers
Conditions we take care of at this Department
The main pathologies treated are:
- Malignant and benign tumors, such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma,
- neuroendocrine tumors (NET)
- intraductal mucinous papillary neoplasms (IPMN)
- cystic tumors of the pancreas
- tumors of the biliary tract, ampulla of Vater and duodenum
- acute and chronic pancreatitis (usual and genetic).
Notable advanced technological equipment
- Pancreatic islets auto transplantation
- Endoscopic Ultrasonography
- Pancreatic biopsies with (ROSE) procedure
- Endoscopic ultrasound-guided treatments
Meet our team
Head physician
Massimo Falconi
Featured physicians
The San Raffaele Research Hospital is a highly specialized multi-disciplinary medical center of world importance, which embodies the integrity of the treatment, clinical research and teaching activities. San Raffaele provides treatment in all existing medical fields, which allows this center to take care of the most complex patient cases. The Hospital is recognized as IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research and Healthcare) for its research in molecular medicine and innovative treatments application, such as the gene therapy.
The hospital is a multi-specialty center with more than 50 clinical specialties available and with over 1600 beds; it is accredited by the Italian National Health System to provide care to both public and private, Italian and international patients. In 2018 the San Raffaele Hospital performed over 51,000 patient admissions, 72,000 emergency room encounters and delivered over 1.5 million outpatient medical services. It is widely regarded as the most celebrated hospital in the country and among the most reputable medical centers in Europe. San Raffaele’s wards and operating theatres are equipped with the most advanced machines, such as PET, PET/CT, Gamma Knife, Cyber Knife, Rapid Arc, Tomotherapy. San Raffaele’s Radiotherapy Unit was the first place in Europe to install Tomotherapy in 2004. Nowadays this Unit confirms to be one of the most experienced worldwide; it has developed numerous protocols for cancer treatment of the prostate, breast, central nervous system, brain, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and others. The Oncological Board of the Hospital consisting of diagnosticians, clinical oncologists, immunologists, surgeons and radiotherapists, hold weekly meetings to discuss oncological patients’ pathways in a multidisciplinary manner.
Beside its Cancer Center, San Raffaele is well-known for its medical know-how in cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal tract surgery, liver surgery, pancreas surgery, transplant medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, urology, dermatology, ophthalmology, immunology, rheumatology and pediatrics.
San Raffaele is a pioneer in the field of gene medicine and treatment of rare immunologic and genetic diseases. San Raffaele Scientific Institute is where the first in the world gene therapy with stem cells was created, named Strimvelis, for patients affected by ADA-SCID syndrome.
The Research at the San Raffaele Hospital focuses on integrating basic, translational and clinical research to provide the most advanced care to the patients. It counts on over 1,500 scientists, working in state-of-the-art facilities covering a surface of 130,000 square meters, and have produced over 1,446 scientific publications in 2018. Research at San Raffaele aims at understanding the mechanisms underlying a variety of important human diseases and at identifying new targets and new therapeutic strategies to treat them.
The San Raffaele Hospital hosts the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, a fully private university with a complete Medical School (including specialty courses and residencies), Nursing School, a Psychology graduate and post-graduate programs, and Allied Health Professions School. The mission of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is to answer the question "Quid est homo?" in the belief that the human being is a biological, psychological and spiritual unicum. Since 2010 the San Raffaele Hospital also hosts the International MD Program, the only graduate program accredited to license Medical Doctors in both Europe and North America.
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