Globally, pancreatic cancer accounts for 4% of all cancer-related deaths and will become the second largest cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030. The most important intervention in the multimodal therapy for pancreatic cancer remains surgical intervention. The operation depends on the anatomical location of the tumor with tumors in the head of the pancreas necessitating a pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure). The success of surgery depends on the thorough evaluation of patients and preoperative optimization. Minimally invasive diagnostic laparoscopy has improved patient selection. Increasing familiarity with the disease and improvement of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies have allowed the broader inclusion of surgical candidates to include vascular resection. While the operation remains, technically challenging outcomes continue to improve.