Liver-Related Procedures and Tests

Liver cancer can spread quickly depending on the type of cancer. Hemangiosarcoma and angiosarcoma types of liver cancer are fast spreading, whereas hepatocellular carcinoma spreads late in the disease.

Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause signs or symptoms; however, when they do occur the primary sign is biliary colic. Symptoms of biliary colic are constant pain for 15 minutes to 4-5 hours, and it may vary in intensity; nausea, severe pain that does not worsen with movement; and pain beneath the sternum. Treatment of gallstones depends upon the patient and the clinical situation.

The overall survival rate of liver cancer patients is low, due to other underlying medical conditions, such as cirrhosis. Generally, a five-year survival rate for all stages of liver cancer is only 15%, but it can vary depending on the extent of cancer spread.

The liver is the largest gland and organ in the body. There are a variety of liver diseases caused by liver inflammation, scarring of the liver, infection of the liver, gallstones, cancer, toxins, genetic diseases, and blood flow problems. Symptoms of liver disease generally do not occur until the liver disease is advanced. Some symptoms of liver disease include jaundice, nausea and vomiting, easy bruising, bleeding excessively, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, shortness of breath, leg swelling, impotence, and confusion. Treatment of diseases of the liver depends on the cause.

What is liver disease? Take the Liver Disease Quiz and test your knowledge about this organ and its function.

Front View of the Liver. The liver is a large, meaty organ that sits on the right side of the belly. See a picture of the Liver and learn more about the health topic.

Learn how to recognize early warning signs and symptoms of serious diseases and health problems, for example, chronic cough, headache, chest pain, nausea, stool color or consistency changes, heartburn, skin moles, anxiety, nightmares, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, delusions, lightheadedness, night sweats, eye problems, confusion, depression, severe pelvic or abdominal pain, unusual vaginal discharge, and nipple changes.

The symptoms and signs of serious health problems can be caused by strokes, heart attacks, cancers, reproductive problems in females (for example, cancers, fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and sexually transmitted diseases or STDs), breast problems (for example, breast cancer and non-cancer related diseases), lung diseases (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, lung cancer, emphysema, and asthma), stomach or digestive diseases (for example, cancers, gallbladder, liver, and pancreatic diseases, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease), bladder problems (for example, urinary incontinence, and kidney infections), skin cancer, muscle and joint problems, emotional problems or mental illness (for example, postpartum depression, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mania, and schizophrenia), and headache disorders (for example, migraines, or "the worst headache of your life), and eating disorders and weight problems (for example, anorexia or bulimia).

Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food. Learn more about digestion and the body parts that make it possible, including the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.

Liver pain can be a sign that you have a serious health problem like cirrhosis or liver cancer. Find out more about what could be causing your liver pain and how to treat it. Patients may have worsening symptoms of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, which often precedes the development of cancer of the liver.

A liver biopsy is a procedure that involves inserting a small needle into the liver to collect a tissue sample. The tissue is then analyzed in a lab to help the doctors diagnose a variety of disorders and diseases of the liver. A liver biopsy is usually performed to help identify the cause of liver ailments, and estimate the degree of liver damage, grade and stage of hepatitis B and C. Complications include internal bleeding, pain, infections, leak of bile from the liver or gallbladder, and pneumothorax.

The hepatic duct is the tubular channel that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine to aid digestion. A hepaticojejunostomy is a surgical procedure to make a connection (anastomosis) between the hepatic duct and the jejunum, which is the middle portion of the small intestine. This technique is called the Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy.

The Pringle maneuver is a procedure to stop the liver’s blood supply during a liver surgery. The surgeon clamps off the blood vessels leading to the liver to prevent bleeding during other liver procedures, whether for injury repair, transplant or gallbladder surgery.