Pain after liver resection, only when sleeping

@martin77 is it ok to ask who did your liver resection?

Hello @dantina777
My resection was done by a great team in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge UK. It followed a CT scan in May (surveillance after bowel cancer surgery in November 2022), a CT PET scan in June and an MRI also in June. These identified 3 small tumours on the liver that needed removing but, sadly, a healthy gall bladder needed removing too to enable access.

Hi, @martin77. I hope that your pain is easing as time passed. It sure sounds as if you are active with gardening, walking, cycling, going to the gym! Although I did not have a resection, I did experience some pain in my lower left abdomen where my transplanted kidney is located. In my situation, I had apparently been getting too ambitious and overdoing my gym exercises. In my case it was determined to be scar tissue, and after reducing my exercise level, it did go away. I also received a liver transplant at the same time, and my gall bladder was removed along with the damaged liver. To my understanding, it is the norm to do that.

Hello Rosemary. Thanks for your comments. It sounds like you have had more to cope with than I have but good to hear you also have a keep fit lifestyle. It is indeed easy to overdo it despite medical advice to take things steadily after an op but that's not going to stop me going skiing over Christmas!
The pain has eased a bit when sleeping and disappears quickly when I stand up. Having an X-ray in January to determine if it is just scar tissue. Take care, and Season's Greetings.

Hi Martin was curious if you needed chemo after liver resection - I have cholangiocarcinoma no symptoms and had left lobe resection and gallbladder removal along with 10 lymph nodes in Pittsburgh PA in September 2024 - pathology report negative for spread as was pet scan before surgery but doc say it could be microcellular take chemo 6 months but having hard time side effects.
Curious what UK would say and you seem to be doing well. I am 73 and also have genetic heart blockages and stents everywhere but thin and active no pain

Hi Martin,
I was diagnosed with prehilar cholangiocarcinoma in January 2023.
Had liver transplant at UPMC, Pittsburgh in January 2023.
Doctors asked me to have adjuvant chemotherapy after the surgery. Capecitabine fir 6 months. Despite my oncologist did not see scientific study proving its usefulness, I took it and was very happy to do it despite the side effects because this is a very aggressive cancer with high risk of recurrence.
I had chemo and radiation before the transplant, 16 sessions of chemo infusion with 3 drugs and 30 sessions of radiotion combined with oral chemo.
Prior to taking chemo post surgery, a third oncologist was also involved.
If you tolerate chemo, it's absolutely necessary to prevent the recurrence.
I know several patients who had cholangiocarcinoma and resection surgery (not transplant) and their providers have the same protocol, chemo after resection.
Good luck.

Sorry for the mistake:
Transplant surgery in January 2024 at UPMC

Thank you for input

Hello Denise and Kimia. It sounds like we've all been through the mill but have come out the other side fighting! And we're lucky to have had good quality care and advice. Every case is different and I guess our medical teams have a lot to weigh up before recommending a specific course of treatment. In my case I had chemo for 3 months after my colon resection in November 22 but that didn't stop liver mets being diagnosed in the summer of 24 and a liver resection in August. I then waited until early December before my oncologist said that in his view I didn't need chemo as my scans were all clear (similar to the view of your oncologist, Kimia, but you decided to be better safe than sorry!) Time will tell but I feel great at the moment and looking forward to going skiing again in March, plus a 300 mile French bike ride during a week in July!
A contributor to this forum alerted me yesterday to ctDNA tests and I've asked my oncologist if I can have one. These seem to indicate earlier than other tests the chances of recurrence, but not everyone wishes to have that information. Personally, I would prefer to be forewarned if it meant that treatment could start earlier.
I hope 2025 proves to be a good year for both of you.

Never heard of ctdna test but i had AI test done a yrar ago - hubby saw ad early detection of biomarkers leaking cancer so he got premium test $350 it was called one test - mine were elevated and we were shocked but no symptoms then doc did pelvic scan and saw mass on liver
For Cholangiocarcinoma and doc said if you have
symptoms usually too late
Thank God i got it early