2 stage liver resection

zigswife

We had a consultation with a liver surgeon at UVA who feels my husband is a candidate for a 2 staged liver resection since he has tumors on both sides of his liver. I am grateful we are able to be considering this option since he wasn't considered a candidate for surgery before he started chemo (he had 6 rounds of FOLFOX and 4 of them had Avastin). However, I am nervous about the possibility that new tumors will pop up while we are waiting for him to have the first surgery, during the six weeks of recovery before the next surgery, and during the six weeks of recovery after the second surgery. It feels like a long time for him to go without chemo so early on but apparently the liver responds best before more than 6 rounds of FOLFOX are given. I want him to be cured and at the same time am nervous about what can happen in the meantime.

Has anyone had any experience with the staged liver resection?

zenmonk

liver resection
My situation was a litle different however I was taken off chemo for about 6 weeks prior to my liver resection just to reduce the chance of bleeding. For me the six weeks off was no problem.

Sundanceh

Hi Zig
I was not on chemo before my liver operation - originally a liver resection candidate, one side only, but after opening me, they switched to the RFA procedure instead.

Folfox, Xeloda, and Avastin followed that for 8-10 months.

I just wanted to say hi to you - it's been awhile since I've seen you. I will pray that all goes well with your attack plan - you're both so brave to have to go through this...and your hubby is a brave man to be able to endure 2 liver surgeries - kudos to him...I wish him nothing but the best, and you too.

-Craig

zigswife

Sundanceh said:

Hi Zig
I was not on chemo before my liver operation - originally a liver resection candidate, one side only, but after opening me, they switched to the RFA procedure instead.

Folfox, Xeloda, and Avastin followed that for 8-10 months.

I just wanted to say hi to you - it's been awhile since I've seen you. I will pray that all goes well with your attack plan - you're both so brave to have to go through this...and your hubby is a brave man to be able to endure 2 liver surgeries - kudos to him...I wish him nothing but the best, and you too.

-Craig

Thanks, Craig!
Things are so hectic with three little ones and managing the new life with cancer. We're a little nervous about the two surgeries in a row, followed by more chemo but we'll do what we have to. My husband is disappointed that he'll be in the hospital for our twins' first Christmas (and the first one that our two year old is old enough to be excited about) but I told him I'd rather he miss their first one and be here for all the rest...

Did they have to switch to RFA because of growth while you were off the chemo?

Sundanceh

zigswife said:

Thanks, Craig!
Things are so hectic with three little ones and managing the new life with cancer. We're a little nervous about the two surgeries in a row, followed by more chemo but we'll do what we have to. My husband is disappointed that he'll be in the hospital for our twins' first Christmas (and the first one that our two year old is old enough to be excited about) but I told him I'd rather he miss their first one and be here for all the rest...

Did they have to switch to RFA because of growth while you were off the chemo?

Zig
Hi

They did no chemo to begin with - they went for the surgery 1st - what started as a liver resection, I got the L cut and everything, was that my liver was found to be a "fatty liver" and they could not resect, because I would have passed away on the table due to my liver's condition.

So he switched over to RFA immediately and burned a 9CM tumor out of my liver, about the size of a small orange.

After that, some of the tumor remained, so we did CyberKnife treatments (3) to eradicate the tumor locally. During the RFA the surgeon put the markers in and around my liver so CyberKnife would know where to go.

After this, the decision was to do systemic chemo and so I began Folfox - we added Xeloda and later Avastin, a few months after surgery.

RFA is a good solution and it's success rate rivals the Liver resection = equal to or better odds even, so I believe in it.

I wonder if it is possible for you husband to qualify for RFA and maybe CyberKnife? Surgeons always say the Gold Standard is surgery - maybe it is too...but RFA helped my liver and post up chemo cleaned everything up and I've been ok in the liver nearly two years, which is the first good indicator that cancer might not return in the liver - so I'm delighted.

That's a shame about Christmas, but I agree with you, 2 years old is still pretty young to remember everything for children - and being around for the later years with your kids is a good plan.

I'm hoping it all goes well for the first surgery...

So nice to see you again - please keep me/us all posted.

-Craig

zigswife

Bumping this up
I wanted to check again to see if anyone has experience with a two-staged liver resection. Thanks!

KATE58

zigswife said:

Bumping this up
I wanted to check again to see if anyone has experience with a two-staged liver resection. Thanks!

I had a liver resection,but
I had a liver resection,but only one lobe removed.
sounds like a good way to get a new liver, one side at a time.
sorry to say it was kind of a rough surgery,I was in ICU for three days then another 6 days
in a regular room.
good luck
GOD BLESS
Kate

Unknown

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zigswife

unknown said:

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Thank you, Kathy!
I will definitely check out their website. We'll be at UVA with one of their liver specialists who is pretty well-known so we feel lucky! I am worried about having the same thing happen- to have the cancer spread either since there's about three months off of chemo with all the prep and recovery from the surgeries. One more thing to obsess about!

I am sending good thoughts your way that you will be back in line for the surgeries!