Hepatic Resection
Hepatic Resection
(Resection, Hepatic; Liver Resection; Resection, Liver)
Reasons for Procedure
- Treat other liver tumors (including benign [non-cancerous] lesions)
- Treat cancer that has spread to the liver (most often seen in patients with colon cancer )
- Liver transplant donation
- Treat trauma to the liver
| Liver Cancer Due to Liver Disease (Cirrhosis) |
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Possible Complications
- Excess bleeding
- Reaction to anesthesia
- Infection
- Nausea and vomiting
- Low blood sugar
- Liver failure
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Pre-existing liver disease (eg, cirrhosis , cholestasis)
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol, either before or after surgery
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
- You may be given chemotherapy to shrink liver tumors.
- You may meet with a doctor who specializes in liver surgery.
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Your doctor may do tests to determine the exact location of the tumors:
- Abdominal ultrasound —a test that uses sound waves to make an image in the abdomen
- CT scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to make pictures of structures in the abdomen
- PET scan —a test that uses a small amount of radiation to locate areas in the body with abnormal metabolic activity, such as cancers
- MRI scan —a test that uses magnetic waves to make picture of structures in the abdomen
- Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, ibuprofen , naproxen )
- Blood-thinning drugs, such as warfarin (Coumadin)
- Anti-platelet drugs, such as clopidogrel (Plavix)
Anesthesia
Description of the Procedure
Immediately After Procedure
How Long Will It Take?
How Much Will It Hurt?
Average Hospital Stay
Post-procedure Care
- You will receive nutrition through an IV. It will be removed once you are eating and drinking, usually in few days.
- You may have drains from the incision site to help the wound heal properly. Drains are usually removed before you leave the hospital.
- You may have a small catheter put into your bladder to drain urine. It will be removed in a few days.
- You will be given medicines to manage pain. These may be given through injections, your IV, or through a pump attached to a needle in your arm.
- You may be given medicines to prevent nausea.
- Change your bandages as directed by your doctor.
- Ask your doctor about when it is safe to shower, bathe, or soak in water.
- Take pain medicines as needed.
- You may begin to feel better in about six weeks.
- Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.
Call Your Doctor
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, warmth, drainage, or bulging at the incision site
- Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicines you were given after surgery, or that last for more than two days after discharge from the hospital
- Severe abdominal pain
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
- Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs
- Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
- Feeling weak or dizzy
RESOURCES
American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org/
American Liver Foundation http://www.liverfoundation.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canadian Cancer Society http://www.cancer.ca/
Canadian Liver Foundation http://www.liver.ca/
References
Fernandez, FG, Drebin, JA, Linehan, DC, et al. Five-year survival after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer in patients screened by positron emission tomography with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET). Ann Surg. 2004;240:438.
Hartog A, Mills G. Anaesthesia for hepatic resection surgery. Contin Educ Anaesth Crit Care Pain. 2009;9(1):1-5.
Hepatic metastatic disease. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated September 2010. Accessed February 2, 2011.
Lai LW. Hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastases. Singapore Med J. 2007;48(7):635.
Liver cancer: treatment and drugs. Mayo Clinic website. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/liver-cancer/DS00399/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs . Updated July 2009. Accessed February 2, 2011.
Surgical resection. UPMC Liver Cancer Center. UPMC website. Available at: http://www.upmc.com/Services/liver-cancer-center/livercancertreatments/surgical-resection/Pages/default.aspx . Accessed February 2, 2011.
Treatment for secondary liver cancer. Macmillan Cancer Support website. Available at: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Liversecondary/Treatingsecondarylivercancer/Treatmentoverview.aspx . Updated September 2010. Accessed February 2, 2011.
van den Broek MA, Damink SM, Dejong CH, et al. Liver failure after partial hepatic resection: definition, pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatment. Liver Int. 2008;28(6):767-780.
Zakaria S, Donohue JH, Que FG, et al. Hepatic resection for colorectal metastases: value for risk scoring systems? Ann Surg. 2007;246 (2):183-191.
6/6/2011 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Mills E, Eyawo O, Lockhart I, Kelly S, Wu P, Ebbert JO. Smoking cessation reduces postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2011;124(2):144-154.e8.
