Has anybody had to have a second portal vein embolisation to enlarge liver for surgery to liver

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Rubyrose
Rubyrose Member Posts: 47
edited February 2011 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My husband (aged 65) was diagnosed with bowel cancer, secondary liver mets (two large ones in section 8 and smaller ones scattered) in July 2010. He's had ten treatments of folfox, large tumours 6cm and 5cm reduced by half most other ones disappeared. Now on path of surgery. Had portal vein embolisation over a month ago. Recent scan shows didn't work. Surgeon wants to do another one next Monday which will mean waiting another month for surgery. Concerned tumours will start increasing. Last chemo 4th January 2011. Bowel surgeon advised do liver surgery first then bowel surgery. Have got second opinion from another reputable liver surgeon with RPA. He wants to do bowel surgery first, then do resection of liver and doesn't think portal vein embolisation is necessary. Help!!! what do we do? He also has numb hands and feet, effects of chemo. Will that eventually go? Rubyrose

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  • SisterSledge
    SisterSledge Member Posts: 332 Member
    #2
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    Bump post up
    Hi Rubyrose,

    I'm sorry I can't offer any help on your question...I'm a newbie to cancer and don't even know what a portal vein embolisation is. I do understand how awful it is to get differing opinions from the experts and being in a quandary as to which road to take :(

    Hopefully bumping your post to the top of the list will help others to see it and chime in with more thoughts on your issues.

    Best wishes for good outcomes,
    Janine
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #3
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    Hey Rubyrose
    I don't know the extent of either of the proposed surgeries, but have either of your surgeons considered doing bowel and liver surgery at the same time. I had a rectal resection, liver resection, and HIPEC all in one surgery. It was a ****, but I was glad to get it all over with at once. I was 38 and in good health otherwise at the time of surgery.

    Why does the doctor want to do another embolisation if the first one didn't work?

    Roger
  • Rubyrose
    Rubyrose Member Posts: 47
    #4
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    Crow71 said:

    Hey Rubyrose
    I don't know the extent of either of the proposed surgeries, but have either of your surgeons considered doing bowel and liver surgery at the same time. I had a rectal resection, liver resection, and HIPEC all in one surgery. It was a ****, but I was glad to get it all over with at once. I was 38 and in good health otherwise at the time of surgery.

    Why does the doctor want to do another embolisation if the first one didn't work?

    Roger

    BOWEL/LIVER
    Hi Crow71 - both surgeons have said not to do both together ie in most cases 1+ 1 = 2 whereas in this type of surgery 1 + 1 = about 5, so would be more serious. Re the embolisation, the radiologist will be using another type of substance this time. What does HIPEC mean? Jackie
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #5
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    snommintj
    Snommintj (John)had rectum/colon/liver (70% of liver) taken at the same time and the recovery was fine he said. So not sure of your husband's circumstances but they may be way different,(you can always get a second opinion and think over what each said, perhaps they would say the same thing)then make a decision after that.
    Winter Marie
  • Rubyrose
    Rubyrose Member Posts: 47
    #6
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    SisterSledge said:

    Bump post up
    Hi Rubyrose,

    I'm sorry I can't offer any help on your question...I'm a newbie to cancer and don't even know what a portal vein embolisation is. I do understand how awful it is to get differing opinions from the experts and being in a quandary as to which road to take :(

    Hopefully bumping your post to the top of the list will help others to see it and chime in with more thoughts on your issues.

    Best wishes for good outcomes,
    Janine

    Sister Sledge
    Thanks Janine. Portal vein embolisation is when they block off the portal vein to the tumours thus redirecting the blood to the good part of the liver to enlarge it and enable safer surgery. Our oncologist recommended we take advice of surgeon to have the second one done.Hope it was the right advice as time is getting on and we're nervous the tumours will be growing again. Jackie
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #7
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    Rubyrose said:

    BOWEL/LIVER
    Hi Crow71 - both surgeons have said not to do both together ie in most cases 1+ 1 = 2 whereas in this type of surgery 1 + 1 = about 5, so would be more serious. Re the embolisation, the radiologist will be using another type of substance this time. What does HIPEC mean? Jackie

    Jackie - That makes sense
    Jackie - That makes sense about using a different substance for a second embolisation.

    I've had mets in my peritoneal lining since dx. HIPEC is a procedure where the surgeon strips the peritoneal lining and take anything else out that looks like it could be cancer. Then heated chemo is cycled through the abdominal cavity for an hour or so. It's way more fun than it sounds.

    I hope you get some resolution soon.

    Roger
  • GaryinUK
    GaryinUK Member Posts: 62
    #8
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    Strength and questions
    My partner had a liver colon resection via keyhole, was out in 2 days, after a course of chemo has a liver embolization with it being explained it would increase the left lobe which was not to be resected and provide adequate liver function.

    Alas the embolization left his hear racing and he spent 5 days in a cardiac unit, very annoyed as they had clearly not done it properly. No lasting damage and the liver op went fine with him recovering fast and well.

    So the purpose it to provide enough liver left to function, my partner had 70% taken, if you have it and it works then if they need to take my liver they can, otherwise they may not get it all.

    HIPEC is not available in the UK, but if anyone wants to message me with what kind of costs it would incur, bearing in mind we do not have insurance in the UK I owuld be grateful.

    In the meantime questiosn and question, understand what they say and clarify it, the people on here seem to be very knowledgable and I am sure they will give you any missing answers.

    Oh almost forgot, the nuropathy is caused by some chemo, not all, my partner has it, it is now barely noticeable and does not affect his fingers or feet, he still types all the time (with his fingers) so for most it fades and there is no reason to believe that wont be the same for you.

    Regards
  • Erinb
    Erinb Member Posts: 293
    #9
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    My husband had one done in
    My husband had one done in July and surgery in September. Try not to worry too much about the cancer growing. Ask why it is neccesary to have another portal embolism. It may be vital to the success of the surgery. My husband had surgery and all of the cancer was nuecratic (dead), but they were unable to get the cancer near his portal vein. I hope your husband has successful surgeries!

    They resected his liver first then colon. They ran into complications during his liver surgery and he lost a lot of blood, but he was stabalized and they continued with the colon resection. Ask as many questions as you can think of! I wish I would have asked for an HAI pump to be installed if they could not get the liver mets out. I think chemo may have been more effective, durable and it would have had less side effects.
    Erin
  • Rubyrose
    Rubyrose Member Posts: 47
    #10
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    GaryinUK said:

    Strength and questions
    My partner had a liver colon resection via keyhole, was out in 2 days, after a course of chemo has a liver embolization with it being explained it would increase the left lobe which was not to be resected and provide adequate liver function.

    Alas the embolization left his hear racing and he spent 5 days in a cardiac unit, very annoyed as they had clearly not done it properly. No lasting damage and the liver op went fine with him recovering fast and well.

    So the purpose it to provide enough liver left to function, my partner had 70% taken, if you have it and it works then if they need to take my liver they can, otherwise they may not get it all.

    HIPEC is not available in the UK, but if anyone wants to message me with what kind of costs it would incur, bearing in mind we do not have insurance in the UK I owuld be grateful.

    In the meantime questiosn and question, understand what they say and clarify it, the people on here seem to be very knowledgable and I am sure they will give you any missing answers.

    Oh almost forgot, the nuropathy is caused by some chemo, not all, my partner has it, it is now barely noticeable and does not affect his fingers or feet, he still types all the time (with his fingers) so for most it fades and there is no reason to believe that wont be the same for you.

    Regards

    question re nuropathy
    How long did it take for the nuropathy to fade? My husband has had it now for approx four months. Thanks
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    #11
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    Rubyrose said:

    question re nuropathy
    How long did it take for the nuropathy to fade? My husband has had it now for approx four months. Thanks

    I would suggest you to open a new thread!
    It's going to be more people answering !
    Hugs!

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