Liver Cancer Surgery (Resection)

At Henry Ford Health, you’ll find one of the most experienced liver surgery teams in Michigan, supported by a broad network of specialists who work together to tailor your care. We use the latest surgical techniques and collaborative planning to safely remove tumors while preserving as much healthy liver as possible.

Why choose Henry Ford for liver cancer surgery (resection)?

Highly regarded liver surgeons, many with advanced fellowship training and a depth of experience, guide your care. Their expertise in liver cancer surgery helps protect healthy liver tissue, lowers complication risks and gives you the best chance at recovery.

The Henry Ford difference:

• Leaders in minimally invasive liver surgery: Surgeons at Henry Ford performed Michigan’s first laparoscopic and robot-assisted liver resection procedures. These techniques use smaller incisions, tiny instruments and special technology to remove tumors while offering a quicker, more comfortable recovery.
• Multispecialty collaboration: Surgeons are part of a large team of liver cancer experts that includes cancer doctors, liver specialists (hepatologists), radiologists, a nurse navigator and more. We meet regularly in meetings called tumor boards to discuss your needs and coordinate treatments . Our nurse navigator helps coordinate your care so you can focus on getting better.
• Comprehensive care: Our extended team includes nutrition and palliative medicine experts who help you feel your best. Psychiatrists who specialize in the needs of liver disease patients make it a little easier to quit drinking. Social workers help you and your family navigate practical needs during treatment.

Liver cancer surgery

There are different approaches to removing liver tumors. The option that’s best for you depends on the number, size and location of the tumor(s).

Your personalized treatment plan may include:

Liver resection (hepatectomy)

We remove the part of your liver that has the tumor while preserving as much healthy liver tissue as possible. Minimally invasive techniques we use include:

• Laparoscopic resection: After making a series of small incisions, we use a tiny camera and long, thin instruments to remove the tumor. This approach often leads to less scarring and a faster recovery.
• Robotic resection: This method also uses small incisions. However, the instruments are attached to robotic arms that the surgeon controls from a console. This method allows for greater precision.

Combination therapy

Sometimes we pair hepatectomy with other treatments. You may receive them during a resection operation or on a different day.

Treatments we perform during liver resection surgery include:

• Ablation: If there is more than one tumor, we may use heat to destroy growths we cannot remove with surgery. Find out more about ablation therapy.
• Hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pump placement: An HAI pump is an implantable device that delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver. Learn more about HAI pump therapy.

Special considerations for metastatic liver cancer

Metastatic liver cancer starts in other organs, like the colon or breast, and spreads to the liver. A hepatectomy for metastatic liver cancer is essentially the same as for liver cancer starting in the liver.

However, your overall treatment may look slightly different:

• Larger resection: People with metastatic liver cancer often have healthier livers, so we may be able to remove more of the tumor with surgery.
• Extra treatments: We may combine surgery with chemotherapy to address cancer elsewhere in the body.

Liver transplant

A transplant replaces a diseased liver with one from a donor. It may be an option if the diagnosis is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. We also perform transplant in people with colon cancer that has spread to the liver, bile duct cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.

Experts may consider liver transplant if:

• Hepatectomy is not possible due to severe liver damage from cirrhosis
• Liver function is poor
• Cancer returns after other treatments

Henry Ford is home to a world-class liver transplant program. We perform a high volume of procedures and successfully treat some of the most complex cases in Michigan. We are also among the first programs with experts in transplant oncology who coordinate liver cancer treatment and transplant planning.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about liver resection surgery