About resection surgery for liver cancer

Who can have a liver resection?

You might have a liver resection if:

• the cancer is only in one part of your liver

• your liver is working well

You might need to travel to a specialist centre to have your surgery. A liver resection is different to having a liver transplant. We have separate information if you are having a liver transplant.

Read more about liver transplant surgery

Removing part of your liver

The liver split into 8 segments.

The surgeon removes one or more segments of the liver. They remove enough to take away the cancer and some surrounding healthy tissue. Your surgeon will tell you how much of your liver they plan to remove.

The liver makes bile which helps to break down fats from food. Bile is stored in the gallbladder which sits just underneath the liver. Depending on where the cancer is in your liver, your surgeon might also need to remove your gallbladder.

After the resection, your liver will gradually grow back to the size it needs to be.

Staged liver resection

Rarely a very large part of your liver needs to be removed. You might have your surgery in 2 stages. The first part separates the section of your liver that will be removed. This means that the remaining part of your liver will start to regrow.

You might have:

• portal vein embolisation

• staged surgery

Portal vein embolisation

You have this 4 to 5 weeks before your resection in the radiology department. A needle is inserted through your tummy and into the portal vein in your liver. A substance is injected into the portal vein to block the blood supply to the part of your liver that needs to be removed.

Staged surgery

You have another operation up to 10 days before your resection. Your surgeon divides your liver and cuts off the blood supply to the part that will be removed. It stays in place until your resection surgery.

How your surgeon does your operation

To remove part of your liver you might have:

• open surgery

• keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) will discuss the best option for you.

Open surgery

Open surgery means the surgeon makes a large cut into the top part of tummy (abdomen). This usually looks like backwards L shape, or sometimes an upside down Y.

Ask your surgeon about your scar if this is something you want to know. It might help you prepare if you know what to expect.

Keyhole surgery

Keyhole surgery is also called laparoscopic surgery. The surgeon uses a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera (laparoscope) to look inside and operate on your body.

The surgeon makes 3 or more cuts in your tummy. The laparoscope connects to a fibre optic camera. This shows pictures of the inside of the body on a video screen. The surgeon then uses the other incisions to put the other instruments they use to do the surgery into your body.

Using the laparoscope and other instruments, the surgeon can examine your liver. They can remove the cancer through one of the cuts.

Robotic liver surgery is a type of keyhole surgery used in some hospitals. A robotic arm holds small surgical instruments. The surgeon views the surgical site and controls the instruments using a separate screen (console). Sometimes your surgeon won’t be able to complete the resection laparoscopically. They might have to change to open surgery during the operation.

Heat treatment during liver resection

Sometimes your surgeon might use heat treatment to kill cancer cells and reduce bleeding during the operation. This is called microwave ablation. Your surgeon will discuss this with you if it applies to you.

Find out about microwave ablation

After liver resection surgery

A liver resection is a big operation. You may wake up in the intensive care unit or a high dependency unit. Your surgeon and nurses review you regularly and watch your progress closely. You usually move back to the ward after a few days.

Find out more about what happens after a liver resection

Problems after a liver resection

There is a risk of problems or complications after a liver resection. Some can happen straight after surgery when you're in hospital. Or you might have problems after you go home.

Possible complications of a liver resection include:

• bleeding

• kidney problems

• infection

• bile leak

• build up of fluid in your tummy (ascites)

• blood clots

• liver failure

Read more about the possible problems after a liver resection

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