LIVER SURGERY

Removal of a section of liver is performed for a variety of conditions, both cancerous and non-cancerous. It is a major operation and should only be performed by a surgeon experienced in liver and bile duct surgery. The liver is divided into eight separate segments and different combinations of these segments can be removed in one operation, depending on the particular condition. If a patient with a normal liver, it may be possible to remove up to 70 - 80% of the liver with excellent results. Less liver can be removed if the patient has cirrhosis. The remaining segments of liver grow larger in size to compensate for the missing piece. This growing process is usually completed within 6 weeks of surgery. It is also very common for your surgeon to remove your gallbladder at the time of liver resection whether it has gallstones or not. This is because the gallbladder is usually part of the piece of liver to be removed. Another reason for removing the gallbladder is to avoid a difficult re-operation, should you develop complications of gallstones in the future. You can live a perfectly normal life without your gallbladder.

The operation

The operation for removing a section of liver varies depending on what segments are to be removed. More common operations are to remove the whole right side, or whole left side. This will be discussed at length with you by your surgeon. The operation is carried out by dividing the liver by tying or stapling through the structures such as blood vessels or bile ductules within the liver. The incision will be in the upper part of your abdomen and either look like a hockey stick or occasionally like a Mercedes Benz sign.

Additional information regarding your surgery including:

• Causes / Problems
• symptoms / Treatments
• Alternatives
• complications / risks
• What to expect after surgery
• pain relief, drain tubes, eating, activities
• wound care / incision
• length of stay in the hospital
• after discharge

... and other important information about your surgery is currently being updated and will be put up onto this page very soon.

Please have a look around the rest of the website for additional information and contact my offices if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment.