What should you know about incision for liver resection?

The surgeon may use an open incision across the upper abdomen or several smaller openings for a minimally invasive operation. The choice depends on the tumour's position, its size, the amount of liver planned for removal, and your previous surgery. The cut may be closed with stitches, clips, or medical adhesive. The liver resection itself may be used for liver cancer, liver metastases, or selected tumours that began elsewhere, including bowel cancer.

Tenderness, pulling, bruising, mild swelling, and tiredness can occur as the abdominal wall heals. Numbness or altered sensation around the scar may last longer than the surface soreness. Your team can explain whether the incision is covered, when dressing changes are due, and when bathing is suitable.

Follow the discharge instructions for washing, dressing, pain relief, and activity. Keep the area clean and dry as directed, avoid lifting or stretching beyond the limits given by your surgical team, and support the wound when coughing or standing if that feels helpful. Do not apply creams, powders, or antiseptics unless recommended. Attend planned checks so the wound and liver recovery can be assessed.

Ask whether your operation was open or minimally invasive, what closure material was used, and whether any stitches or clips need removal. Tumour ablation is a different treatment that destroys selected tumour tissue without removing the same section of liver.

Contact your surgical team promptly if the wound becomes increasingly red, hot, swollen, painful, or starts draining cloudy fluid, blood, or pus. Seek urgent help for wound separation, heavy bleeding, severe or worsening abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, fainting, confusion, breathing difficulty, or a high temperature with marked illness. These signs can reflect a wound or abdominal complication and should not be assessed by appearance alone.

Ask where the incision will be, how long the dressing should stay on, which movements and lifting are restricted, how to recognise infection, and who to call outside clinic hours. You can also ask when driving, work, bathing, and follow-up imaging may be considered safe for your situation.