Surgeon Removes One-Foot Liver Cancer in Six-Hour Operation
A surgeon successfully removed a massive 30-centimeter liver tumor in a six-hour operation, with the case complicated by the cancer's compression of major blood vessels and attachment to the diaphragm.
A surgeon's Facebook page has released images of a one-foot-sized liver cancer removed from a patient during surgery, along with education about risk groups for liver cancer. Dr. Banthana Wittayachamnanakul, a certified surgeon specializing in hepatic, pancreatic, and biliary tract surgery, explained in a video on the "Liver Surgeon" Facebook page that the tumor measured 30 centimeters (about one foot) and was an extremely difficult case. The surgery began at 2:50 p.m. and finished around 8 p.m., taking more than six hours in total.
Dr. Banthana noted that the tumor was not only very large but also compressed the hepatic vein, requiring careful separation of the cancer from the blood vessel. Additionally, the tumor had to be carefully removed from the diaphragm, the muscle separating the abdomen and chest.
The doctor explained that hepatitis B and C viruses are major risk factors for liver cancer, with hepatitis B particularly causing liver cancer in younger patients in Thailand. Hepatitis B can be transmitted sexually or from mother to child through the placenta, so family members of infected patients should undergo liver cancer screening. Other risk factors include chronic alcohol consumption leading to cirrhosis, and increasingly, severe fatty liver disease caused by high-carbohydrate diets and diabetes, which can progress to liver cancer.
Dr. Banthana expressed satisfaction that the one-foot tumor was successfully removed. The patient lost 1,500 cubic centimeters of blood, a significant amount, but survived the procedure safely.
