Giant Liver Hemangiomas 12+cm Surgery or Not?

[Cathie777]

I was diagnoised (FINALLY!!!) with a giant liver hemangioma after 5yrs of going to the doctor. My GI doctor said to just continue monitoring it and it continued to grow just in the first 6 months from size of baseball to size of a melon. He said it was more dangerous to remove it, and to just leave it in. I looked at him kind of puzzled and asked, "Am I then just to live with these symptoms?" So he then said well maybe we should send you to a specialist who said the exact opposite. That it needs to be surgerically removed as obviously its growing and the longer I wait the more complicated the surgery will be. I could go into heart failure, and if I just let it go I might eventually need a liver transplant. Surgery- Chevron Incision 24"-30" straight down entire stomach and then all the way off to my right hip. Very invasive (and scary). Was told USC could do it less invasively.
Trying to find info from people who've had this surgery and what it was like and if it really did help?
Also interested in comparing others symptoms.
But I am confused, still being told different things.....that I should have the surgery, and that I should not, that its more dangerous. So when should someone have surgery for these giant hemangiomas???



This discussion is related to liver hemangiomas.

[fntn]

Please start a new thread, yours is likely to get lost in this older, very large one, and since transplant is an option in your case, different flavor ofissue of importance as well.

[BeeShell]

I am so relieved to find all of you. I was diagnosed over a month ago with 1.5, 7 & 11.5 cm hemangiomas in my liver. I am in pain ALL the time. A great feeling of pushing in my abdomen as well as side & back pains.They are growing inside instead of on my liver and I was told I have the options of surgery to remove 2/3 of my liver if that isn't possible transplant is my only option. I'm so scared. Should I get a second opinion? Where do I go for that? I'm in Indianapolis & told the liver Drs here are among the best. Any advice and encouragement is welcome!

[Dillly]

Hi Everybody
I do have hemangiomas on my liver. One is 12 on 8 , 7 on 8 and two small ones 1.5 on 1.5 and 1.1 on 1.1 . My doctor told me that at that point i need to have surgery  which cannot be done here ( Las Vegas) because  no one is qualify to do so and It needs to be done at UCLA . I'm freaking out...Seriously I am sooo scare...Thank you to all of you taking the time 2 share your experience. It's a huge help understanding the whole process..Please share if you have any advice.

[krys7963]

Wow, I was recently diagnosed with a giant hemangioma as well. They sent me to a liver surgeon who wants to perform a left hepatectomy.
Any ideas why it is more common on the right lobe than the left?
Are left lobe hemangiomas any more dangerous than right lobe ones??

[Cathie777]

Hi, Yes it was the same for me. Your liver grows back, the only organ that does so. It was a difficult surgery for me to get through, but Im glad it was done. I still have to monitor the little hemangiomas there were in the section of liver that wasn't removed during my surgery. They are small and continue to grow...very slowly thank god.
How is he going to perform the surgery? Laproscopically or through large Chevron Incision? Is this a liver specialist, that specializes in this kind of surgery?

[ginapoet]

Hello. My sister has a giant liver hemangioma 14 cm that the doctor wants to do surgery on; he said she might only retain 30 percent of her liver, is your experience similar? The doctor said that it is an extremely dangerous surgery more dangerous than open heart surgery, and that liver failure after surgery would cause death. I'm scared. Is there anything you can tell information wise to help me with my concerns?

Thank you,
worried sister, Gina