What is minimally invasive surgery for liver cancer

Minimally invasive surgery for liver cancer is a surgical method used to treat liver cancer. Its characteristics are to enter the body through tiny incisions or catheters to perform tumor removal, ablation or other treatment operations to reduce trauma and recovery time.

Minimally invasive surgery for liver cancer is considered an alternative to traditional open surgery. The range of techniques is wide, such as laparoscopic surgery, which is a small hole surgery in the abdomen. The doctor inserts a laparoscope into a small incision and observes through the lens and uses other small equipment to perform the surgery. The advantages of laparoscopic surgery are less trauma and faster recovery, but it may be limited in complex liver cancer conditions.

For example, interventional radiology is often used for tumors that cannot be removed surgically. Interventional radiology can place radiofrequency electrodes or microwave probes into the tumor through a catheter, and ablate the tumor tissue through heat to achieve the treatment purpose. For example, thoracoscopic surgery is suitable for some tumors above the liver, similar to laparoscopic surgery. Thoracoscopic surgery is performed through small incisions, which can reduce surgical trauma. For example, robot-assisted surgery, which uses robotic arms to perform surgery, has greater flexibility and accuracy, and robot-assisted surgery can perform delicate operations in a small space.

The advantages of minimally invasive surgery for liver cancer include less trauma, less bleeding, less pain, shorter hospital stay, and faster postoperative recovery. The feasibility of surgery is affected by factors such as the location, size, type of the tumor, and the patient's overall health.