Hepatic Lobectomy
A lobectomy is the surgical removal of a lobe, usually either of the liver, lung, brain or thyroid. A hepatic lobectomy is the removal of a lobe of the liver.
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The Liver
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The human liver consists of four lobes of various sizes and is connected to the hepatic artery and the portal vein. It is the job of the liver to detoxify the body, break down insulin and other hormones and produce chemicals that make digestion possible.
Liver diseases
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The liver is prone to many diseases and conditions such as hepatitis, cancer and cirrhosis. In the case of a tumour that has not spread, a lobe of the liver may be removed.
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Regeneration
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The liver is the only human organ that can regenerate itself. A small portion of the liver, as little as a quarter, is capable of regenerating into an entire liver. For this reason a liver that has had a lobe removed can fully regenerate; also a lobe can be removed from a healthy liver and transplanted to another body.
Live Donor Liver Transplant
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Since 1989 it has been possible to remove a portion of the liver from a living patient and transplant it to another patient without the need for a blood transfusion. This is most often done with a portion of adult liver being transplanted into the body of a child, though adult-to-adult transplants are becoming more common.
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References
- Photo Credit laparoscopic surgery image by Grzegorz Kwolek from Fotolia.com
