Tumors of the gallbladder are generally malignant, and occur as a prolonged presence of gallstones. If even slightly advanced and not early, they carry a very poor outcome. Minimally invasive surgery is usually not used with these tumors due to the high recurrence rate using laparoscopy.
Tumors of the bile ducts are managed according their location in the bile ducts itself. If not involving adjacent artery and vein going to the liver, then they can be resected. Reconstruction usually is through connecting the free of tumor part to loop of small bowel (Roux En-Y). If the portion behind the duodenum or inside the pancreas of the bile duct is the one involved, then resecting the head of the pancreas and duodenum is done (Pancreatico-duodenectomy or Whipple procedure). All these procedures can be done laparoscopically at GBMC and Jordan Hospital.
Liver tumors are different and of multiple types. They can benign or malignant. Even benign tumors at times require surgery if enlarging in size or causing symptoms like pain. Most benign tumors can be diagnosed through Ct scan and MRI. Focal Nodular Hyperplasia (FNH) does not carry any risk of malignancy and is usually observed. Hepatic adenomas usually in females unfortunately can enlarge and carry the risk of rupture and bleeding. In some circumstances these need to be removed which can be done laparoscopically.
Malignant tumors of the liver can be arising from the liver itself or can be a spread from other tumors in the body. If the latter, then the primary tumor needs to be treated and chemotherapy to treat the liver spread added. In some situations, if the tumor in the liver is localized to one side of the spread size is small, then resection of the involved side or the spread spot itself with a margin of health liver is done. Even primary liver tumors can be approached in the same manner. All these can be done in minimally invasive techniques.
In other situations, the liver is diseased (cirrhotic) and does not allow resection. Other modalities of treatment like Radiofrequency ablation RFA can be arranged through GBMC with Jordan Hospital.