The pancreas is located deep in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach and in front of the spine. It lies roughly at the level where the ribs meet at the front of the body, in an area called the epigastrium and left hypochondrium regions

. The head of the pancreas is situated on the right side of the abdomen, nestled in the curve of the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), while the tail extends toward the left side near the spleen

. Anatomically, the pancreas is mostly retroperitoneal (behind the peritoneum), except for the tail, and is closely related to several important structures: the stomach lies anterior to it, the duodenum curves around its head, and major blood vessels such as the aorta, inferior vena cava, superior mesenteric artery, and splenic artery are nearby

. The bile duct also passes through the head of the pancreas on its way to the intestine

. In summary, the pancreas is a flat, elongated gland located in the upper abdomen behind the stomach, spanning from the right side near the duodenum to the left side near the spleen