In Lviv, doctors performed a unique liver surgery that lasted nearly 13 hours
In Lviv, doctors performed an extremely complex surgery on a 63-year-old woman with a liver tumor that had invaded major blood vessels. To remove the tumor, the medical team temporarily stopped blood flow to the liver and employed techniques typically used during transplants. The surgery lasted nearly 13 hours and was successful.
Lilia, a 63-year-old resident of Lviv, sought medical attention due to abdominal pain. During the examination, doctors discovered a suspicious mass, and a CT scan confirmed the complex diagnosis—cholangiocarcinoma. This is a rare type of cancer that originates in the bile ducts. In Lilia’s case, the tumor was particularly dangerous because it was not only located in the liver but had invaded three hepatic veins and spread to the inferior vena cava.
Due to the tumor’s location, conventional surgery was not an option. The doctors could not remove the tumor using standard methods, so the medical team decided to employ a complex technique involving a transplant-based approach. Surgeons and anesthesiologists from Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 1 were invited to Lviv to perform the surgery. The two teams worked together throughout all stages of the procedure.
During the surgery, the doctors temporarily and completely isolated the liver from the blood supply and cooled the organ. This allowed them to remove the tumor more safely and repair the damaged blood vessels. “We’re always happy to share our experience with colleagues. This was an extremely high-risk procedure. First, we completely isolated the liver from the blood supply and cooled the organ, essentially applying transplant techniques during the resection. After that, we removed the tumor and reconstructed all the affected veins. The operation lasted nearly 13 hours and was successful,” said Yevhen Tregub, a surgeon at Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 1.
According to the doctors, in this situation, it was essentially the patient’s only chance. Without complex surgical intervention, there were almost no options for effective treatment.
Lilia herself admits that after hearing the diagnosis, she initially lost hope of fighting the disease. “I’m so happy they saved me! When I found out about the diagnosis, at first I didn’t even want to fight, because I understood how complicated my case was and that few doctors would dare to operate on me. I was afraid that if something went wrong, I would become a burden to my family. Fortunately, everything is fine today,” the patient said.
Following the surgery, the woman is recovering under medical supervision. Doctors note that such cases require extensive experience, teamwork, and sophisticated equipment. Hospital officials emphasized that similar surgeries are performed very rarely in Ukraine—approximately ten per year. Collaboration among specialists from different cities makes it possible to help patients who might previously have been considered inoperable. This was reported by the First Medical Association of Lviv.
In Lviv, doctors performed a rare combined surgical procedure. During a cesarean section on a 26-year-old woman, they simultaneously removed a recurrent ventral hernia that could have caused serious complications after childbirth. As a result, a healthy baby boy was born, and the mother avoided another surgery and a lengthy recovery.
