Many disorders treated by hepatobiliary surgery are caused by cancer. The liver, pancreas and bile ducts all can experience the growth of tumors, both benign and malignant. These organs can also become cancerous when tumors in other parts of the body, such as the colon, metastasize and spread.
Because of this, most candidates for hepatobiliary surgery will be those who have received a diagnosis of cancer of the liver, pancreas and bile ducts. Some people with severe gallstones that cannot be passed normally may also need hepatobiliary surgery.