Before a transplant is warranted, Tulane Transplant Institute at East Jefferson
considers a full spectrum of holistic and clinical treatment for early-stage
liver dysfunction and/or failure. Therapy options may be considered including advanced minimally invasive
procedures, chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, and stereotactic
radiation implants among others.Non-surgical services include:
Interdisciplinary approach to hepatobiliary tumors.
Chemoembolization and ablation of tumors.
Trans jugular intrahepatic proto-systemic shunt (TIPS).
Percutaneous biliary tract imaging and manipulation.
Liver dialysis treatment for fulminant hepatic failure.
Viral hepatitis treatment with access to clinical trials and protocols.
Advanced liver procedures
Fibro Scan liver biopsy
Fibro Scan is a non-invasive diagnostic device that measures liver scarring,
damage, or fibrosis caused by several kinds of liver disease. Like a conventional
liver ultrasound exam, outpatient Fibro Scan testing is quick, painless,
easy, and provides a non-surgical alternative to a traditional liver biopsy.
Fibro Scan works by emitting a small pulse of energy, which may feel like
a slight vibration on your skin. The device calculates the speed of this
energy to give an immediate measure of the stiffness of your liver which
can be an important part of understanding overall liver health.
Liver tumor ablation
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that treats
liver tumors with heat. A thin probe goes through the skin directly into
the liver tumor generating radio waves and heat at the tip of the probe
destroying the entire affected area. The treated tumor begins to die immediately,
and the changes can be seen right away on the CAT scan.
Hepatic artery chemotherapy pump
A hepatic artery pump is used to treat liver cancer, usually in combination
with liver resection and or RFA. A small, surgically implanted pump and
a catheter carry cancer-fighting medication from the pump to the patient’s
hepatic artery directly into the liver. The pump supplies the medication
to the liver on a continuous basis.
Liver surgery and transplants
Hepatobiliary tumor surgery
For patients with hepatobiliary tumors such as tumors in the liver and
bile ducts, minimally invasive Hepatobiliary surgery involves removing
benign and malignant tumors of the liver or pancreas but leaves surrounding
tissue. It utilizes smaller incisions that help decrease pain, length
of hospital stays, and recovery time. Our surgeons use laparoscopic techniques
whenever possible to inspect the abdomen, remove, and destroy tumors.
Liver transplant surgery
When is a liver transplant considered?
Other medical or surgical treatments have failed to correct life-threatening
problems like cirrhosis.
Some cancerous tumors of the liver or bile ducts like hepatocellular carcinoma
do not respond to traditional treatments.
Abnormalities in metabolism or anatomical function limit long-term health
and transplant is only cure.
Liver transplantation involves surgically replacing the diseased liver
with a new one to restore normal function and requires lifelong medications
to prevent rejection.
