Overview of surgery
Liver resection (liver resection) is the surgical removal of a portion of the liver for the treatment of certain types of liver cancer and certain colorectal cancer liver metastases. Up to half of the liver can be removed, as long as the remaining liver is healthy.
In a hepatectomy, the surgeon removes both the part of the liver that contains the malignant tumor and some of the healthy liver tissue around it. If the right side of the liver is removed, the gallbladder attached to the liver is also removed.
Postoperative matters
Hepatectomy requires general anesthesia and takes 2 to 5 hours. No blood transfusion is usually required during the procedure. Patients are hospitalized for 5 to 7 days or up to 2 weeks after surgery.
Considering the possibility of recurrence of colorectal cancer, even if the surgery is successful, patients need to be reviewed regularly. Treatment after hepatectomy may include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Purpose of surgery
Hepatectomy is used to treat liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Removal of the malignant tumor in the liver prevents further spread of the cancer. Usually, surgery is able to remove all of the malignant tumors in the liver. However, even if the entire tumor is not removed, surgery usually helps prolong the patient’s survival.
Surgical results
Hepatectomy prolongs patient survival. Twenty-five to 40 of every 100 patients who undergo surgery are still alive 5 years after surgery (that is, a 5-year survival rate of 25% to 40%).
Risks of surgery
Potential complications after hepatectomy include:
- Infection
- bleeding
- Surgical formation of scar tissue
Questions to consider
Hepatectomy may not be a good option if there are metastases from colorectal cancer in both lobes of the liver or elsewhere in the body.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be needed after hepatectomy. Sometimes chemotherapy needs to be given preoperatively to shrink the size of the tumor in the liver. Once the tumor gets smaller, it can be removed surgically.