Liver Surgery
Surgical Associates of Marshall County offers treatment for liver cancer and other diseases of the liver with laparoscopic liver surgery in Albertville and Guntersville.
The liver is the largest organ in the body. It creates bile to aid during digestion, detoxifies the blood and converts food into energy. There are many forms of liver disease that can impede on the liver’s ability to fulfill these responsibilities. In some cases of liver disease, liver surgery is the recommended form of treatment.
Forms of liver disease that may require laparoscopic liver surgery include:
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis
- Jaundice
- Hepatitis C
- Liver cancer
Liver Biopsy
In addition to liver surgery, Surgical Associates of Marshall County offer minimally invasive liver biopsy, which is the collection of liver tissue sample through laparoscopic methods. This is an important step in the diagnosis of any liver disease.
A liver biopsy is done to diagnose and evaluate:
- Cancer
- Abnormal blood test results
- Infections
- Liver enlargement
A liver biopsy is frequently performed within your physician’s office. You will be awake during the procedure, but will be given pain medication or a sedative to help you remain comfortable while the tissue sample is obtained. During the procedure your surgeon will insert a long, hollow needle through the abdominal wall. The needle is guided by an ultrasound, and is removed quickly once the tissue sample has been obtained.
If a biopsy reveals an abnormality, then liver surgery may be necessary.
Laparoscopic Liver Surgery
Your general surgeon will provide you with details concerning the exact liver procedure you will be undergoing. Of the liver surgeries performed by Surgical Associates of Marshall County, laparoscopic liver resection is the most common. This type of liver surgery is recommended for patients who have benign or malignant tumors.
During the procedure you will be under a general anesthetic. Your general surgeon will access your liver with the use of a laparoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube equipped with a light, camera and other surgical tools.
There are four common forms of liver resection:
- Right hemihepatectomy, in which the right half of the liver is removed.
- Left hemihepatectomy, in which the left half of the liver is removed.
- Extended right hemihepectomy, in which the right side and a portion of the left part of the liver are removed.
- Extended left hemihepatectomy, in which the left side and a portion of the right side of the liver are removed.
In certain situations, your general surgeon may opt to remove only a portion of one of the above sections, leaving the remainder of the liver intact.
Surgical Associates of Marshall County makes every effort to perform laparoscopic liver surgery. In some situations surgery must be converted to a conventional approach. In many situations the gallbladder will also be removed during liver surgery.
To learn more about laparoscopic liver surgery at Surgical Associates of Marshall County, please call 256-840-5547 (Albertville) or 256-571-8734 (Guntersville) or complete our online contact form.