Treatment of the carcinoid syndrome by hemihepatectomy and radical excision of the primary lesion

Two patients with the carcinoid syndrome whose symptoms were difficult to control with drugs and who had early signs of right heart valvular changes are reported on. Left hemihepatectomy was believed to be justified; resection of the left half of the liver, a tumor of the small bowel, and lymph node secondaries in one patient and resection of a tumor of the small bowel and the quadrate hepatic lobe in another patient resulted in symptom-free periods of twelve and four months, respectively. These cases support the adoption of more aggressive surgical treatment of this manifestation of carcinoid tumors.