Circle Lippe. In the fight against serious liver damage and later liver cancer, Annegret H. mastered an unprecedented medical challenge. According to its own view, the Lippe Clinic impressively shows how modern medicine can have a life -changing effect even in complex cases ”.
“When Annegret H. came to the Lippe clinic in 2015 with serious liver damage, her condition was life-threatening. Yellow-colored skin, imposed stomach, a disturbed blood clotting-it was short of a multi-organ failure. The diagnosis: cirrhosis of the liver in the final stage. Future, because the liver – a vital organ – was so seriously ill that the forecast was: critical, perhaps even hopeless, ”says the clinic.
Diagnosis of liver cancer
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But the detmolder woman didn’t want to put up with it. She changed her habits and slowly fought back into life. In 2025, the next stroke of fate came with the diagnosis of liver cancer for Annegret H. “During a routine examination, the doctors found a so -called hepatocellular carcinoma, a frequently occurring and malignant liver tumor. The concern was initially great,” explains the clinic. And for Annegret H. the question asked whether her liver would cope with surgery with the existing pre -damage.
The university clinic for general and visceral surgery at the Lippe Clinic has offered Annegret H. the possibility of a robotic-assisted operation. “The team led by clinic director Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jens Höppner and senior physician Dr. Zsolt Madarasz recommends a gentle procedure that allows the tumor to remove the sick, even if the liver tissue is pre-damaged. Thanks to 3D camera and millimeter-like instruments, the surgeon-minimally invasive, without complications” Clinic. The patient has recovered quickly. Shortly after the operation, she stood on her own feet again and left the hospital after a few days.
Significant progress
“The robotic-assisted liver part resection in a patient with such a complex medical history marks significant progress in surgical care at the Lippe clinic. For the first time, such an intervention could be carried out completely minimally invasively with the help of robotic technology-precisely, gently and without complications,” says Dr. Zsolt Madarasz today, three weeks after the operation.
For Annegret H., this intervention is not only part of successful cancer therapy, but also an important personal turning point. “I never thought that my body could still do it,” she says today. “But I am grateful to the people who operated me. And I am grateful for the second chance I got.”
The liver is an organ with many tasks
The liver is one of the largest and most important organs of the human body. It takes on central tasks in the metabolism, detoxifies the body, produces vital proteins and stores nutrients. At the same time, she regulates the hormonal balance and plays a crucial role in the immune system.
“Despite its high level of regeneration, the liver can be permanently damaged by chronic diseases such as hepatitis, fatty liver or long -term alcohol consumption,” explains the clinic in a message. “Such previous illnesses can significantly increase the risk of liver cancer.”
The most common malignant tumor of the liver is the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It usually occurs as a result of existing liver disease, especially liver cirrhosis. The risk factors included chronic viral infections (hepatitis B and C), alcohol abuse, strong overweight and metabolic diseases. Liver cancer often remains unnoticed in early stages, since symptoms usually occur late. Typical symptoms can be: unwanted weight loss, upper abdominal pain, loss of appetite or a yellow color of the skin (Ikterus).
“The treatment options depend on the stage of the disease and the general condition of the liver,” the doctors describe. Innovative procedures such as robotic-assisted liver surgery, even with complex diagnoses, enabled precise, minimally invasive removal of tumor tissue-with the aim of maintaining as much healthy liver tissue as possible.
Liver surgery at the Lippe Clinic
In the university clinic for general and visceral surgery, the specialized operational treatment of all organs of the digestive tract- from esophagus, stomach and intestine to liver, bile paths and pancreas, takes place. A special focus is on the surgical and multidisciplinary therapy of cancer, including the removal of primary tumors and metastases-often in gentle, robotic-assisted technology.
