What is hepatobiliary surgery?
Hepatobiliary surgery is surgery on the liver and its bile ducts.
The biliary system includes the bile ducts inside the liver and outside the liver in addition to the gallbladder. The lower end of the bile duct also meets with the pancreas duct to open into the small intestine. Therefore, surgery on the pancreas is included in this specialty.
If hepatobiliary surgery is a very large specialty with an extensive range of operations to treat a spectrum of diseases of the liver, bile ducts and pancreas. If you are referred to the hepatobiliary surgeon for an evaluation, then you are likely to meet other members of the multidisciplinary compatibility team. This team includes interventional radiologists, gastroenterologists, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologists.
The procedures can range and complexity, but most can be done laparoscopically with robotic assistance. However, if the disease is extensive and involves major arteries then an open operation will be required.
Who needs hepatobiliary surgery?
Each patient that experiences issues with their biliary system will have different severities of symptoms. You could be treated for anything from a surface level condition all the way to treating cancer. Cancer is one of the most common needs for hepatobiliary surgery. If you have been diagnosed with one of the conditions below (not all listed), talk with your provider about the possibility of hepatobiliary surgery.
- Pancreatic cancer or cysts
- Liver cancer or cysts
- Bile duct cancer
- Severe gallstones and cirrhosis
- Gallbladder cancer or polyps
- Risks of hepatobiliary surgery
What are the risks of hepatobiliary surgery?
These operations are extensive and carry significant risks of complications. These could be as simple as a wound infection, bile leak but can be severe enough to cause liver failure and death. This is the reason why these operations are performed in tertiary care centers in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.