Liver surgery is often a tricky procedure as it is recommended only for the patients who are having some serious condition, often the cancer. Also, there are several conditions attached in order to undergo liver surgery. The patient must have an otherwise healthy liver in order to even consider the possibility of the surgery.
However, the main role of liver is to collect the blood from the digestive tract, filter it and then pass it to the rest of the body. Also, it metabolizes drugs and detoxifies chemicals. The liver produces protein that performs blood clotting and other vital functions as well.
Some of these diseases can be cured completely in due time with proper medical treatment, while for others, the treatment option restricts to the surgery itself.
Several liver conditions
- Hepatitis
- Infection and cysts
- Liver cancer
- Liver failure
- Cirrhosis
- Ascites
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Gallstones
- Hemochromatosis
- Jaundice
Risk factors associated with liver damage
- Sharing needles for injecting drugs
- Consuming alcohol heavily
- Engaging in unprotected sex
- Piercing or getting tattoos
- Being obese
- Being exposed to other’s body fluid or blood
- Having a high amount of triglycerides in blood
Treatment and Surgery
- Liver transplant evaulation
- Gallbladder removal, in case of gallstones
- Paracentesis
- Liver cancer treatment
- Liver resection/ Hepatectomy
Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is cancer that begins in the cells of your liver, the largest organ of your body that is placed in the upper right portion of your abdomen, beneath your diaphragm and above your stomach.
The most common form of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, which begins in the main type of liver cell (hepatocyte). Other types of cells in the liver can develop cancer, but these are much less common.
Hepatectomy is the surgery used to treat liver cancers. The extent of the hepatectomy depends on the size, number, and location of the cancer, and your overall health condition. The surgeon may remove a part of the liver that contains the tumor, an entire lobe, or an even larger portion of the liver. In a partial hepatectomy, the surgeon leaves a margin of healthy liver tissue to maintain the functions of the liver. If a total hepatectomy, meaning that the patient’s entire liver is removed, is performed, a liver transplantation is indicated. The removed liver is replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. A liver transplant is an option only if the cancer has not spread outside the liver and only if a suitable donor liver can be found that matches the patient. While waiting for an adequate donor, the health care team monitors the patient’s health while providing other therapy.
Symptoms of Liver Cancer
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Pain in the upper abdomen
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weakness and fatigue
- Swelling in the abdomen
- Jaundice
- Chalky stools
Causes of Liver Cancer
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Pneumonia
- Blood clots in the legs
- Urinary tract infection
- Liver failure
- Rejection of the new liver (if hepatectomy is followed by liver transplant)
- Further surgery