How big must a liver hemangioma be to require surgery?

Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
Updated on September 11, 2024
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Regarding whether a liver hemangioma requires surgery, size is only one factor that determines the necessity of surgery. Generally, hemangiomas larger than five centimeters have reached the criterion for surgical intervention. However, while the size of the hemangioma is one aspect, we must also consider its location and whether there are any symptoms of compression, as well as the potential for further pathological changes. Therefore, the necessity for surgery is influenced by size, but it is just one of the factors. Of course, the larger the hemangioma, the higher the possibility of requiring surgery.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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I had a liver hemangioma removed five years ago and it still hurts a lot. What should I do?

If a patient still experiences pain five years after surgical removal of a liver hemangioma, attention should be paid, and further examinations should be completed to rule out other diseases. Generally, patients with hemangiomas do not experience significant discomfort after removal, and there are no obvious sequelae. Therefore, if discomfort occurs, it is important to conduct thorough examinations as soon as possible to identify the cause and treat it accordingly. For instance, liver diseases like cirrhosis, hepatitis, and liver cancer can all manifest as upper right abdominal pain. At this point, it is necessary to differentiate among these causes and treat accordingly. If the patient has liver cancer, early surgical removal should be performed to achieve better treatment outcomes.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Does staying up late affect liver hemangioma?

Staying up late can affect patients with hepatic hemangiomas. Chronic sleep deprivation may impair liver function, potentially exacerbating hepatic hemangiomas significantly. Hepatic hemangiomas are a type of benign tumor, but they can rupture and bleed, causing liver hemorrhage and even leading to hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, patients with hepatic hemangiomas, especially those with larger tumors, should be actively treated, potentially through interventional surgery to achieve a cure. Additionally, for patients with smaller hepatic hemangiomas, conservative treatment may be appropriate for the time being. However, lifestyle and dietary habits need special attention, such as avoiding hard-to-digest and spicy foods.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Will the hepatic hemangioma grow back after it has been removed?

It is possible for liver hemangiomas to recur after they have been removed. Therefore, for the treatment of liver hemangiomas, minimally invasive surgery, namely interventional treatment, is mainly chosen in clinical practice, which can achieve better treatment effects. Patients with liver hemangiomas often have a benign tumor, generally without obvious discomfort, but there is a possibility of rupturing and bleeding, or even causing hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, for larger liver hemangiomas, surgical treatment should be administered as soon as possible. Interventional surgery can achieve very good treatment results, but there is still a possibility of recurrence after surgery, so regular follow-up with color Doppler ultrasound is necessary to dynamically observe changes in the condition.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Can a six-centimeter liver hemangioma be treated with minimally invasive surgery?

For patients with liver hemangiomas, if the size reaches six centimeters, it is relatively large at this point and there may be a risk of rupture and bleeding. Thus, it is advisable to opt for early surgical intervention. The primary method for this would be minimally invasive surgery, which is achieved through vascular interventional surgery. Post-surgery, it is still necessary to have regular follow-up examinations with color Doppler ultrasound to monitor changes in the condition. Generally, for patients with liver hemangiomas of a relatively small size, they usually do not experience significant discomfort and do not require special treatment. Regular follow-up with color Doppler ultrasound to observe any changes in size is sufficient. Of course, it is advisable to avoid spicy and irritating foods in the diet to reduce inflammatory stimulation and lessen the burden on the liver, thereby helping to control the condition.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Why is it not recommended to perform surgery on hepatic hemangiomas?

Patients with hepatic hemangioma generally do not exhibit obvious symptoms, and most cases are discovered during color Doppler ultrasound examinations. Hence, surgical treatment is not required at this time. It is possible to regularly re-examine the color Doppler ultrasound dynamics and monitor any changes in volume. However, for large hepatic hemangiomas, complications such as rupture, bleeding, and even life-threatening hemorrhagic shock may occur, leading to death. Therefore, early surgical treatment is advised for such cases. The primary method is minimally invasive surgery achieved through interventional procedures. Post-surgery, regular follow-up with color Doppler ultrasound is also necessary to dynamically observe any changes in the condition.