Gallbladder Cancer Surgery & Surgical Oncology Procedures
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Surgery for Gallbladder Cancer
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), our experienced, highly skilled surgical oncologists and surgeons regularly perform procedures to treat gallbladder cancers. Surgery is frequently a component of treatment for gallbladder cancer. It may be performed to completely remove the tumor if the cancer is still localized, or to relieve symptoms or pain if the cancer is more widespread.
Surgical Procedures
Staging Laparoscopy
A staging laparoscopy is often performed before surgery, to allow the surgeon to get a closer look at the cancer and surrounding structures, and to determine the strategy for gallbladder cancer surgery. To do this, a long tube with a camera on the end is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision, and images are sent back that let the surgeon see where the cancer is, and how far it may have spread.
Cholecystectomy
This is an operation to remove the gallbladder. A simple cholecystectomy in which only the gallbladder is removed is used most often for non-cancerous causes, such as when the gallbladder needs to be taken out because of gallstones. However, a more extensive, or radical, procedure is used most frequently if cancer is suspected. In an extended cholecystectomy, the surgeon removes the gallbladder along with a portion of the nearby liver, and the regional lymph nodes. Portions of other nearby organs may also be removed if the surgeon suspects the cancer has spread. This more extensive procedure can help to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back after gallbladder cancer surgery.
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