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Private Liver Cancer Surgery for Canadians
The right liver surgeon for your case may not be at your nearest hospital. Immediate Surgery gives Canadians faster access to experienced liver surgeons in other provinces and at leading centers in the USA and Europe. Your scans are reviewed by a specialist within days, without a referral, and once a plan is agreed, we work to have your surgery booked within weeks.
- EOptions for primary liver cancer and liver metastases.
- EStaged and minimally invasive approaches where suitable.
- EReach liver surgery centers in other provinces and abroad.
Liver cancer surgery without the long wait.
- EYour CT, liver MRI and bloodwork go straight to a hepatobiliary surgeon for review, instead of waiting on a referral to reach the right clinic.
- EIf your plan calls for a liver volume study or portal vein embolization first, we book those interventional radiology steps as soon as the surgeon requests them.
- ETreatment can stay in Canada through a program in another province, or move to a center in the USA or Europe when that offers an earlier date or more specialized expertise.
Surgical centers across Canada, USA & Europe.
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Complete care coordination - We assist with every detail.
Matched by Procedure & Complexity
Surgical Oncologists for Complex Liver Cancer
Cancer that begins in the liver and cancer that has spread to it are planned differently. Hepatocellular carcinoma often arises in a liver already affected by hepatitis or cirrhosis. Bile duct cancers within the liver may need wider resections. Metastases from the bowel or a neuroendocrine tumour are often timed around chemotherapy. We match your case to surgeons with experience in your specific diagnosis, then manage the consultations, scheduling and logistics that follow.
Understanding Your Surgical Options
Private Hepatectomy for Primary and Secondary Liver Cancer
Liver operations are defined by how much of the liver is removed. A small tumour may need only a wedge or a single segment. Larger or more central tumours can require a right or left hepatectomy, or an extended resection. When too little liver would remain, surgeons can stage the operation, first growing the healthy side. Your surgeon will also weigh the condition of the liver itself, any previous chemotherapy and whether ablation could be combined with resection.
We can help you explore care for:
- NHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
- NIntrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
- NColorectal liver metastases
- NNeuroendocrine liver metastases
- NGallbladder cancer involving the liver
- NLiver adenomas and uncertain lesions
- NTumours in both lobes of the liver
- NLiver cancer with cirrhosis or fatty liver
- NSegmentectomy and wedge resection
Imaging, volumetry & surgery on one timeline.
Your oncologist, your liver surgeon and, where it applies, your hepatologist all need the same information. We keep them working from it, including when surgery has to fit between chemotherapy cycles.
Patient surgical experience
Stories from liver cancer surgery patients.
“I’d been told my tumour was in a difficult spot. Having a liver surgeon walk me through my own scans made the decision feel like mine.”
“My surgery happened in two stages, weeks apart. I always knew what the next date was and why it mattered.”
“I’d finished chemo and needed to know what came next for my liver. The review was arranged quickly and explained in plain language.”
Private Cancer Surgery Options
Specializing in surgical oncology solutions.
Breast Cancer Surgery
Lumpectomy or mastectomy, with reconstruction planned alongside.
Colorectal Cancer Surgery
Bowel resection and lymph node clearance.
Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
Whipple and other complex pancreatic resections.
Liver Cancer Surgery
Partial liver resection for primary or spread disease.
Lung Cancer Surgery
Lobectomy and wedge resection with node staging.
Melanoma & Soft Tissue Sarcoma Surgery
Wide excision of melanoma and soft tissue sarcomas.
SURGICAL EXPERTISE MEETS TECHNOLOGY
Advanced liver imaging & resection techniques for liver cancer
Liver surgery is planned in three dimensions. Surgeons need to know where each tumour sits against the hepatic veins and portal structures, and how much working liver will remain afterwards. Private surgical centers in our network combine detailed imaging and volume planning before the operation with open, laparoscopic or robotic-assisted approaches during it, chosen by tumour position rather than preference.
- NMultiphase CT and liver-specific MRI to map tumours and vessels.
- N3D volumetry to measure the liver that will remain after surgery.
- NPortal vein embolization to grow the remnant before a major resection.
- NIntraoperative ultrasound to locate small tumours and guide margins.
Expediting surgery access
We provide surgical options across Canada.
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
Nova Scotia
Yukon
Questions about private liver cancer surgery.
I was told too little liver would be left. Is surgery still possible?
Sometimes. One option is portal vein embolization, which redirects blood flow so the healthy side grows over several weeks before surgery. Another is a two-stage hepatectomy, with tumours removed from one side first and the remaining operation done once the liver has grown. Not every case qualifies, and the cancer's response during the waiting period also matters. A specialist review will tell you whether a staged approach is realistic.
I have cirrhosis. Can I still have liver cancer surgery?
It depends on how well your liver is working. Patients with well-preserved liver function and no significant portal hypertension may be candidates for resection. When cirrhosis is more advanced, removing part of the liver can carry too much risk, and ablation, other local treatments or a transplant assessment may be recommended instead. Transplant follows its own assessment and listing process, and a surgical review can help you understand whether it belongs in the conversation.
Should I have chemotherapy before liver surgery?
Not always. Some liver tumours, particularly metastases from colorectal cancer, are removed straight away. Others are treated with chemotherapy first, to shrink them or to see how the cancer behaves. Long courses of chemotherapy can affect liver health and make small tumours harder to find on scans. That's why it helps to have a liver surgeon involved in the plan before chemotherapy is finished.
Which scans and test results does a liver surgeon need to see?
The actual images matter most, not only the written reports. Ideally that means a multiphase CT or a liver MRI. Also useful: PET scans, liver function bloodwork, tumour markers such as AFP, CEA or CA 19-9, any hepatitis history, biopsy results, chemotherapy summaries and notes from previous abdominal surgery. Many liver cancers are diagnosed on imaging without a biopsy, so don't worry if you haven't had one. Send what you have, and we'll request anything else.
Can my liver resection be done laparoscopically or robotically?
For many patients, yes, but it depends on where the tumours sit. Tumours toward the front and lower parts of the liver are usually more accessible. Those deep inside, high under the diaphragm or close to the major veins are more demanding, and the surgeon's experience with minimally invasive liver surgery matters a great deal. For some cases, open surgery remains the safer choice.
What is recovery like after a hepatectomy?
Most patients stay in hospital for several days to a week, longer after a major or staged resection. Tiredness is common for several weeks while the liver regrows, and your team will monitor your bloodwork during that time. If you've travelled for surgery, we plan how long you'll stay nearby and arrange follow-up with your team in Canada before you leave.
Start your care journey.
Send us a few details about your surgical needs. Our intake team will follow up within 24 – 48 hours to schedule a one-hour consultation.
