title: Laparoscopic surgery of the liver.
abstract: The liver, with its multiple metabolic, detoxifying, and filtering functions plays a key role in the field of oncology, as it is the site of both metastatic and primary cancers. This phenomenon occurs because of two factors, namely the proximity of the liver to other intra-abdominal organs as well as the extensive portal vein and lymphatic drainage systems. The lobular structure of the liver represents a barrier to cancer cells which ultimately flourish by producing either synchronous or metachronous hepatic lesions. The size of these metastasizes varies greatly and obeys the laws of expediential tumor growth, thus implying that some lesions will be too small to be detected by conventional methods.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Surgery, Chief, Division of Outpatients of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery Program, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katkhouda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mills