Kocher manoeuvre

Kocher manoeuvre is a surgical manoeuvre to expose structures in the retroperitoneum behind the duodenum and pancreas; for example to control hemorrhage from the vena cava inferior or to facilitate removal of a pancreatic tumour. It is named for the Nobel prize-winning surgeon Dr. Emil Theodor Kocher.

The peritoneum is incised in the lateral side of the duodenum, and the duodenum and the head of pancreas are reflected to the opposite direction, i.e. to the left.