What is liver resection?
Liver resection is a procedure for patients who have small tumours in their liver which have not yet caused severe liver damage. The procedure involves the surgical removal of tumours that are around 3cm or smaller. It can be done with minimally invasive techniques using a laparoscope, also known as a 'keyhole' surgery. However, this procedure is rare as the conditions for a liver resection are very specific. For one, the cancer must not have invaded the internal blood vessels of the liver. Secondly, the remaining portion of the liver must be sufficiently healthy so that function can be maintained. If the remaining portion of the liver is damaged, eg. due to cirrhosis, then liver failure may still occur despite the operation.
When is a liver resection done?
A liver resection is more commonly performed when the patient is suffering from metastasised cancer, that is, cancer that began in another organ and has spread to the liver. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be used after the operation to ensure that cancer cells do not regenerate in the liver.
What is the success rate for liver resection?
Due to the many limitations of a liver resection, the 5-year survival rate of a liver resection is around 40%. This means that only 4 or fewer patients out of every 10 who undergo a liver resection survive for at least 5 years. Liver resection is often performed as a bridging procedure to keep the cancer from spreading while the patient waits for a liver transplant.