Infrastructure of the unit

The whole range of infrastructure required to carry out tertiary Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary surgery (HPB) is available at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Four consultant HPB surgeons and a full complement of junior staff constitute the surgical side. A key worker policy is also in place to smooth out the interface between surgical consultants and patients.

Two surgical HPB clinics are available every week to assess new patients and follow up old patients, while a fast track jaundice service is in place to rapidly investigate and manage patients referred with jaundice.

Three HPB theatres and five liver transplant theatres per week are available to carry out major HPB surgery. Theatres are well equipped with CUSA, Harmonic scalpel, intra operative/laparoscopic USS, Argon beam diathermy, Level 1 Rapid flow infuser and coagulation monitors.

There are two ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography) lists and two EUS (endoluminal ultrasound scan) lists in place to investigate patients referred with HPB problems. The full range of radiological investigations including multislice CT, MRI and interventional radiology, with specialist HPB radiologists complement the firm’s activities.

The use of overnight intensive recovery beds in the theatre complex allows most patients to avoid going to Intensive Care Unit following major operations. In addition to the overnight intensive recovery beds, there is an Intermediate Dependency Area, a High Dependency Unit and a consultant based Intensive Care Unit (John Farman Unit) caring for high risk patients.

The Addenbrooke's oncology department has a special interest in the management of pancreatic cancer and is one of the top three recruiters to the ESPAC 3 trial in the country.

Excellent histopathology facilities including immunocytochemistry, frozen sections and consultant pathologists with expertise in HPB specimens are in place. The pathology labs often serve to take specialist work involving liver and pancreas from through out the region and beyond.

A large endocrine unit has allowed the detection and management of rare and complex endocrine tumours in the pancreas gland.

Last updated: 14 November 2005