Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery

Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) surgery is the surgery of the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Perhaps the most common presentation under this speciality is jaundice, however there are a wide range of causes for jaundice (in fact, more commonly non-surgical) that every surgical trainee should be aware of

Diseases affecting the gallbladder are common presentations to both primary care and A&E departments. They further will form key differentials in many patients presenting with abdominal pain. Therefore make sure you look over our articles on biliary colic, cholecystitis, and cholangitis.

The phrase “don’t mess with the pancreas” is well known among surgeons due to the severity that pancreatic disease can present with. Pancreatitis can result in severe morbidity and has relatively high mortality rates, therefore knowing its pathophysiology and management is essential. Pancreatic cancer is a condition with a very poor outlook as well, and consequently new treatments are always trying to be developed to improve the survival rates for this disease

We have also included splenic pathology here, as whilst not part of the “HPB” triad, the shared blood supply and lymphatics mean they are often implicated with one another. The spleen is a very vascular organ, therefore make sure to read about the management of splenic injury.