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The Birth of Pancreatic Surgery: A Tribute to Friedrich Wilhelm Wandesleben

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Abstract

Friedrich Wilhelm Wandesleben (1800–1868), a small-town German physician, performed surgical drainage of a traumatic pancreatic pseudocyst in November 1841. This operation should be acknowledged as the world’s first reported operation on the human pancreas. The surgeon, the operation, and its implications for future pancreatic operations are the subjects of this historical review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Thomas Schnelldorfer

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  1. Thomas Schnelldorfer
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Correspondence to Thomas Schnelldorfer.

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Schnelldorfer, T. The Birth of Pancreatic Surgery: A Tribute to Friedrich Wilhelm Wandesleben. World J Surg 34, 190–193 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-009-0237-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-009-0237-6

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