Hepatobiliary surgical care in San Antonio, Texas
Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery, more commonly known as hepatobiliary surgery, is a surgical sub-specialty focused on treating cancer and diseases of the liver, pancreas, bile duct and gallbladder. It involves the removal of primary and metastatic tumors in these organs. It also encompasses the treatment of benign diseases such as cysts, bile duct injuries, gallstones and portal hypertension. At Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant, our team of highly trained health professionals are known for their expertise.
To learn more about our hepatobiliary service line, please call our HPB cancer coordinator at (210) 575-1020.
Methodist Healthcare uses hepatobiliary surgery to treat a variety of conditions, including:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Metastatic liver cancers (colorectal, neuroendocrine)
- Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
- Liver cysts and polycystic disease
- Hemangiomas
- Focal nodular hyperplasia
- Hepatic adenoma
- Pancreatic cancer
- Pancreatic neoplasms
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Pancreatic cysts and pseudocysts
- Bile duct cancers
- Bile duct injury
- Gallbladder cancer
What causes hepatobiliary disease?
Diseases of the liver and biliary system can be caused by:
- Viral, bacterial and parasitic infections
- Neoplasia
- Toxic chemicals
- Alcohol consumption
- Poor nutrition
- Metabolic disorders
- Cardiac failure
How to diagnose hepatobiliary disease
Tumors in the liver are typically diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the abdomen or blood work. Although these tests could be enough to determine the type of liver tumor, patients could also require a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
Pancreas, bile duct and gallbladder tumors also require CT and MRI scans to make the initial diagnosis. Sometimes, an endoscopy is needed to pinpoint the exact problem. We use the latest in computed tomography, the CT Force, for cross-sectional imaging. It generates cross-sectional images of the body with less radiation, better resolution and twice the information in the same scan. The CT Force uses color overlay with finer and more slices to detect smaller nodules sooner. Our advanced MRI provides multi-slice, 3D imaging for high quality, complex MRI exams with fewer rescans that results in improved patient comfort. Specialty and Transplant also uses an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to produce detailed images of a patient’s pancreas and liver.
To be evaluated for hepatobiliary disease, patients can contact the HPB cancer coordinator at Methodist Hospital |Specialty and Transplant.
Hepatobiliary disease treatment options
Most patients with hepatobiliary disease require multidisciplinary specialty care for successful treatment, with emphasis on aggressive surgical care. Highly specialized treatment options are available at Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant.
Our highly trained and experienced surgical team perform all the complex procedures (both minimally invasive and open) that these disease conditions mandate. Our Interventional Radiology (IR) care team also provides several treatment options including, chemoembolization (TACE), theraspheres (Ytrium-90), portal vein embolization, microwave ablation and ethanol ablation. We coordinate pre- and post-operative chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surveillance with several oncology teams across South Texas.
Liver Tumor Consortium (LTC)
A multidisciplinary team of health professionals that includes surgeons, hepatologists, oncologists, radiologists review the clinical and radiological information of all patients. This LTC makes consensus decisions in a multi-disciplinary fashion to provide state of the art care for these patients. HPB cancer coordinator and navigators help expedite and deliver the comprehensive care in a timely fashion.
Physicians may refer patients to Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant by calling our hepatobiliary cancer coordinator at (210) 575-1020. The hepatobiliary cancer coordinator can provide additional information for the referral process.
