I have a 6.9 cm focal nodule on my liver and scheduled for surgery in two weeks. Has anyone had surgery for this and can elaborate your experience with surgery and recovery?
Hi amanda, an FNH is benign i.e not cancer. Is there a reason why you are having an operation to remove the nodule rather than leaving it?
I had a cancerous tumour removed by laparoscopic surgery which meant i was up and about in 12 hours and out of hospital in 4 days. Recovery at home took a while as i was sore and tired and i was off work for about 2-3 months i think.
It's a huge one. 3 inches. They are worried it would rupture if I ever experienced trauma (car accident, etc). I can also feel it and it causes pain. I just had my non functioning gallbladder removed last month. It's possible it was pressing on it and caused it to fail. Thankfully I don't need liver resectioning as it actually hangs off like a berry, a baseball size berry. I have to have it embolized first. It sounds like an easy procedure and having had laparoscopic surgery last month I know somewhat what I'm in for. I guess I'm just nervous as it's my liver.
Hallo, ich habe gerade Ihren Thread gefunden und mich gefragt, ob Sie bereits Ihre Operation hatten. Ich bin für eine Operation geplant, um einen 5,4 cm großen Tumor zu entfernen, von dem sie annehmen, dass es sich entweder um ein Adenom oder eine FNH handelt. Ich möchte es auch überprüfen, um sicherzustellen, dass es nicht bösartig ist, obwohl sie denken, dass es wahrscheinlich nicht der Fall ist. Es hängt wie Ihres an einem Stiel, den sie, glaube ich, pedunculiert nennen. Zum Glück müssen sie nur einen halben Zoll meiner Leber mit ihm entfernen. Ich hatte jedoch noch nie eine Operation und bin mir unsicher, was ich erwarten soll. Es befindet sich in meiner linken Leberhälfte und die Operation wird laparoskopisch durchgeführt. Jede Information oder Tipps, die Sie mir geben können, wären sehr willkommen. Vielen Dank und ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut.
Entschuldigung für die Fehler in meinem vorherigen Beitrag, die einen Teil davon unleserlich machen LOL. Ich habe das Mikrofon an meinem Telefon verwendet und vergessen zu prüfen, ob es meine Worte falsch interpretiert hat, bevor ich es gepostet habe.
Don't do surgery just yet!! First mine was confirmed fnh through biopsy. It was a tiny 18mm needle (like a long needle but the size they use to pierce your ears) and they used imaging to guide the needle. I had to stay in the hospital I think 4 hours after to make sure there wasn't any internal bleeding. Took the bandage off and could barely see it, that's how small the biopsy was! Okay so FNH confirmed and surgeon wanted to cut out! DO NOT DO THIS! Your liver can easily bleed out, it's dangerous, and you'll be in the hospital for at least a week due to the high risk factor of bleeding and infection. Anyways, my surgeon wanted me to get it embolized before surgery to minimize risk of bleeding. This is where they basically thread this tiny instrument up your artery from your groin area to your liver (image scan guided) and release a material that blocks the artery to the tumor. Search Heptic Embolization. I did a lot of research and found that they actually just use embolization as a way of treatment WITHOUT surgery. I had three arteries going into my tumor! I had another MRI done after 11 weeks and it shrunk 80%! This is a perfectly normal size as they usually do not even operate on FNH unless you are symptomatic and mine was hurting as it was the size of a baseball. So basically your surgeon should require (if competent) embolization before surgery, but embolization alone can be a means of reduction. There are serious risks with surgery. Hospitalized for a week and high risk of bleeding out and infection. The embolization had drawbacks too. Basically your starving the tumor to death and when they are large tumors that is a lot of toxins! Wow! I felt a stabbing pain, was vomiting, and running a fever for nearly a week. I just kept taking my pain pills, drank liver detox tea, and took epsom salt baths to help flush toxins. PLEASE get a biopsy, it's such a small procedure! If it's FNH research heptic embolization and also liver resection (surgery). The embolization was horrible but risk was low and recovery faster, and if you have surgery you'll have embolization anyways unless your doctor wants you to bleed out! Hope I'm making sense, so tired but passionate against surgery unless absolutely needed!
Also my surgeon made surgery sound like such a simple procedure! After reading about it I went and got 2 more opinions and the other two doctors agreed embolization was all that was needed and said the surgery was so dangerous that they would have to send me to a special surgeon two hours away and the surgeon scheduled for my surgery did not have the experience with this surgery! Only one hospital in the state could do it (and we have many).
Danke für die Informationen! Das Problem bei mir ist, dass es so atypisch für alles ist, dass sie nicht sagen können, ob es sich wirklich um FNH oder ein Adenom handelt. Sie neigen eher zu einem Adenom. Und ein Adenom birgt ein hohes Risiko des Platzen, besonders wenn es größer als 5 cm ist, was bei mir der Fall ist. Daher möchten sie es entfernen, bevor ich zum Beispiel einen Autounfall habe und innere Blutungen bekomme, die die Notaufnahme nicht erklären können und die zu großen Problemen führen könnten (außerdem sind sie sich nicht zu 100 % sicher, dass es nicht bösartig ist, da es wiederum atypisch für alles ist). Außerdem, wenn man ein Adenom nicht entfernt und versucht, es zu verkleinern, besteht die Gefahr, dass es später bösartig wird, im Gegensatz zur Entfernung, bei der dieses Risiko nicht besteht. Ich weiß nicht, was ich denken soll, da ich irgendwo gelesen habe, dass eine Biopsie bei einem Adenom angeblich keine gute Idee ist, da sie zu Blutungen führen kann, aber wir wissen wieder nicht genau, was es ist. Außerdem habe ich noch nichts über Embolisation gelesen; ich werde mich darüber informieren müssen. Nochmals vielen Dank für die Informationen!
If it's Adenoma then you probably want surgery. I'm glad you have a good surgeon who knows what he's doing and specializes in liver. I had a CT scan, MRI, and biopsy to confirm FNH. There is risk with anything you do whether biopsy or surgery. Do some research and trust your gut what is best for you.
Ich hatte eine CT-Untersuchung wegen etwas anderem, bei der die Masse entdeckt wurde, dann eine Ultraschalluntersuchung, die nicht feststellen konnte, was es war, und dann eine MRT-Untersuchung, die zu der Entweder-Oder-Situation führte. Ich nehme an, er wollte keine Biopsie durchführen, falls es sich tatsächlich um ein Adenom handelte, also ging er direkt zur Operation. Ich habe das große Glück, in der Nähe ein Lebertransplantationszentrum zu haben. Ich glaube, nach allem, was ich gelesen habe, dass ich die Operation aufgrund des Risikos definitiv nicht durchführen lassen würde, wenn ich keinen Spezialisten wie ihn hätte. Vielen Dank, dass Sie mir Ihre Informationen mitgeteilt haben.
Ich wollte diesen Thread nur aktualisieren, falls jemand darauf stößt und die Informationen benötigt. Ich hatte die laparoskopische Operation und es war tatsächlich viel einfacher als erwartet. Mein Tumor war pedunculiert, was bedeutet, dass er vom Leber abhing. Daher mussten sie nur einen halben Zoll der Leber entfernen, um ihn zu entfernen. Er war anscheinend an einer guten Stelle, so dass sie am Ende nur zwei kleine Schnitte machen mussten, statt drei, was insgesamt drei Schnitte ergab, wenn man den größeren mitzählt, durch den sie den Tumor entfernt haben. Ich blieb eine Nacht im Krankenhaus und wurde am nächsten Tag mittags entlassen. Ich hatte nur in den ersten Tagen Schmerzen und konnte danach von den Oxycodon abkommen. Das Gas, das sie während der Operation verwendet haben, war ärgerlich, als es herauskommen wollte. Es ließ dich aufstoßen und dann Blähungen haben, und als es sich nach oben und nach außen arbeitete, verengte es manchmal ein wenig in deiner Brusthöhle und verursachte manchmal sogar ein seltsames Schulterschmerz. In der restlichen ersten Woche nahm ich nach Anweisung meines Arztes Extra-Stärke-Tylenol gegen Entzündungen und mögliche restliche Schmerzen. In der zweiten Woche nahm ich es nur, wenn ich dachte, dass ich es vielleicht etwas übertrieben hatte und Entzündungen erwartete. Aber wirklich, es war nach der ersten Woche in Ordnung. Jedenfalls stellte sich heraus, dass der Tumor ein FNH und kein Adenom war, aber ich bereue die Operation nicht, weil sie aufgrund der Lage nichts aus den Tests herauslesen konnten und sie nicht einmal sicher waren, ob er nicht krebserregend war. Auf diese Weise wissen wir jetzt, dass es sich nicht um Krebs handelt, und es gibt nichts in meinem Körper, das ich ständig befürchte, platzen oder krebserregend werden könnte. Ich hatte einen großartigen Leber-Spezialisten, so dass die ganze Erfahrung eine gute war, alles in allem betrachtet.
So glad to hear it went well! I'm glad you had a great liver surgeon!
Thank you for posting an update! I have a large FNH (8x10cm) that was found during an MRI looking for the source of abdominal pain I've had for a year and a half. I know Doctors are reluctant to remove FNHs, but they've ruled out any other possible cause of my abdominal pain through extensive testing, and I can't imagine this huge mass isn't the the cause. Just met with a surgeon Monday and he said he doesn't do laparoscopic surgery, so the recovery would be tremendous with an open surgery - in addition to greater risk of infection. Plus, I have a young toddler I need to look after, so laparoscopy sounds much better! I'm wondering if you had any pain/symptoms before from the FNH and if they've subsided since the surgery? I have daily abdominal pain, so I'm really motivated to find a solution, though not keen on open surgery.
Sorry, meant to reply to this comment! Thank you for posting an update! I have a large FNH (8x10cm) that was found during an MRI looking for the source of abdominal pain I've had for a year and a half. I know Doctors are reluctant to remove FNHs, but they've ruled out any other possible cause of my abdominal pain through extensive testing, and I can't imagine this huge mass isn't the the cause. Just met with a surgeon Monday and he said he doesn't do laparoscopic surgery, so the recovery would be tremendous with an open surgery - in addition to greater risk of infection. Plus, I have a young toddler I need to look after, so laparoscopy sounds much better! I'm wondering if you had any pain/symptoms before from the FNH and if they've subsided since the surgery? I have daily abdominal pain, so I'm really motivated to find a solution, though not keen on open surgery.
Ich hatte weder vor noch nachher Schmerzen im Bauch oder andere Symptome. Ich schätze, es hängt alles davon ab, wo es sich in deinem Körper befindet.
Habe in meinem Beitrag vergessen zu erwähnen, dass Sie es definitiv laparoskopisch durchführen sollten, wenn Sie es können. Laut dem, was ich höre, ist die offene Methode viel viel schwieriger. Ich würde versuchen, einen Chirurgen/Spezialisten zu finden, der laparoskopische Eingriffe durchführt.
You can have open surgery to remove, or you can have it embolized. Mine was large and felt like a baseball stuck in my side. With embolization they thread a line up your artery and block the arteries supplying blood causing the tumor to die off. I had 3 arteries feeding mine. A Radiologist would preform this procedure. BUT, just a warning, since most doctors don’t normally operate on FNH they don’t know the after affects. I was terribly sick for a month from all the toxins being released into my body as it died. Ran a fever for weeks even though I took detox baths and drank detox tea and everything to help rid toxins. In the end, mine shrank 75% and pain free. It definitely was better than open surgery, but realize the toxins of it dying will make you sick if you just do embolization. Get a few opinions from different doctors.
Hello. I have just been diognosid with a FNH myself.
My doctors and specialist seem to think it has no symptoms and is safe to leave there with 6 monthly scans to eatch its growth.
Now i think my symptoms are real and im totaly s**tting myself because of a rupture.. im starting to wonder if they know much about this at all.
At what size is it dangerous?
What is everyones symptoms?
Is it safe to do EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING or do i need to be carefull?
I just had laparoscopic surgery at the end of January to remove my grapefruit sized FNH, along with my gallbladder and 20% of my liver.
I SERIOUSLY had to research and advocate for myself. I think the research and current practice is totally obsolete, and with how many other sufferers I've seen posting on other forums and sites - this clearly needs to be restudied. FNH, particularly of a significant size, in my opinion and experience, absolutely causes pain. The first doctor I saw was going to leave it in there, and monitor every 6 months (to the tune of $1300 an MRI for me), because "FNH doesn't cause symptoms". The second doctor I saw said he didn't think it was causing symptoms either, but would remove it for me (via open surgery which carries more significant risk and recovery implications).
To be clear, I ruled out every other possible cause of abdominal pain - ulcers, Crohns, scarring, IBS, etc and now have basically maxed out my insurance two years in a row. It seems crazy to me that the obvious culprit of the pain was dismissed. I found out about the tumor during one of the diagnostic MRIs to determine the cause of my abdominal pain. (Side note, I think rupture is much less of a concern with FNH than with hepatocellular carcinomas or adenomas. You can find published medical journals online with good informaiton)
My grandpa has 35+ years of General Practice under his belt, and encouraged me to go straight to a surgeon. I'm so so glad he did. The surgeon was amazing, told me she could do it laparoscopically, and was so informative and affirming. I almost cried when she said "of course it's causing you pain, I get patients who notice it when theirs is much smaller than yours". I felt so vindicated. And she had plenty of experience to draw on.
I had to wait for insurance reasons, and it grew just slightly over the course of 6 months. I have to be honest, the recovery was incredibly painful. Worse than my c-section, especially those first couple days. And it was tough having the lift restriction and not being able to pick up my (heavy) toddler for 6 weeks. You can walk comfortably much sooner than a c-section, though.
But all I have to say is - it's worth it. It was for me. The pain and discomfort and bloating was affecting everything in my life. I had less energy, I didn't want to exercise or overexert myself because it was painful, and I'd sometimes be doubled over with the pain and pressure. Although I'm sure I'm still healing, it has changed my life. The surgeon said the tumor was inflaming and adhering to all the other organs around it. So, how could that not cause symptoms?
Honestly, a big reason why I wanted to get it out is to have more energy for my kid, and there was no way I wanted to get pregnant again with a massive tumor vying for space as well. I don't know if I had it during the first pregnancy, but it was really uncomfortable, and pregnancies can cause it to grow (growth hormones).
I wish you all the best, and please reach out if you have any questions. I'm so glad I listened to my instincts and kept looking for better answers and the right doctor. At the end of the day, they're all human, and can only go off of what research tells them. But you have to listen to your body.
My daughter whom is only 17 diagnosed with fnh a year ago with a mass the size of a softball.her specialist feels no surgery is needed at this time.however where it is located is between her heart and lung.they will not do a needle biopsy do to the location.she gallows up every 6 months to see if has grown in size.she is unable to be on any type of birth control as it will also make it grow.if ahe was to have surgery she would loose half of her liver.😟feeling lost as a parent and sad theirs nothing I can do.