Surgical Medical Advances
Minimally Invasive Liver Resection
Summary: Laparoscopic tools allow Emory doctors to perform minimally invasive liver resections. An operation that used to require opening the abdominal cavity is done through a few small incisions, using specially designed cameras and tools. This approach allows for quicker recovery and most patients return home a few days after their procedure.
Cholangiocarcinoma Bile Duct Cancer
Summary: The Emory Transplant Center offers a new protocol to treat bile duct cancer, an aggressive disease that tends to spread locally. Combining radiation and chemotherapy with a liver transplant, this protocol ensures that all of the cancer is removed during surgery and offers hope to patients diagnosed with this historically lethal disease.
Whipple Surgery for Cancer of the Pancreas
Summary: Emory surgeons are leading the way towards perfecting the Whipple procedure. This major surgical operation is performed to treat different types of pancreatic cancer, which cannot be cured any other way. Emory Healthcare performs a large number of Whipple surgeries every year and Emory’s expertise and high volume directly translates into a safer procedure and longer survival.
