Insulinomas: Benign Pancreatic Tumors

5. Surgical Treatment

As part of the surgical management, the surgeon must determine the exact position and size of the tumor. This will allow him or her to decide how much of the pancreas to excise to remove the tumor. Minimally invasive or laparoscopic methods may work. A computed tomography scan (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique locates the position and estimates the size of the tumor. For benign tumors, surgery is the treatment with the most successful outcomes. For the small number of malignant insulinomas, surgery may be extensive and involve removing part of the liver if the tumor has spread.