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Background: Anatomical liver resection is the gold standard for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), enhancing survival and disease-free outcomes. For centrally located tumors, major resections are necessary but risky, especially for patients with liver disease. Central hepatectomy (CH) offers a parenchymal-sparing alternative to extended or hemihepatectomy (HH), reducing postoperative liver failure risk. However, its complexity and the large transection area make it challenging, especially with laparoscopic techniques. This study evaluates the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic CH for centrally located HCC, comparing surgical outcomes with those of the HH group. Methods: A total of 1592 laparoscopic hepatectomy cases from January 2011 to April 2023 were reviewed in a single institution. Patients undergoing laparoscopic CH were compared to those receiving HH during the same period. Exclusion criteria included non-HCC diagnosis, non-central tumors, and cases involving combined procedures. Results: 70 cases of laparoscopic CH and 32 cases of laparoscopic HH were included. The CH and HH groups showed similar estimated blood loss (median 400 ml vs. 290 ml, p = 0.187) and intraoperative blood transfusion rates (10% vs. 15%, p = 0.413). Operation time did not significantly differ (median 330 min vs. 360 min, p = 0.862). Postoperative hospital stay was shorter in CH (median 6 days vs. 9 days, p = 0.018), with fewer ICU transfers (19% vs. 44%, p = 0.014) and lower 90-day mortality (1% vs. 9%, p = 0.055) compared to HH. Complication rates were similar overall (26% vs. 41%, p = 0.069), but HH had more Clavien-Dindo class I and II complications (13% vs. 19%, p = 0.040). Long-term survival did not significantly differ, but tended to favor the CH group. Conclusion: Despite the complexity, laparoscopic CH offers comparable perioperative outcomes and favorable long-term survival compared to HH. It can be considered a viable option for centrally located HCC, preserving liver function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of indocyanine green fluorescence (ICG-F)-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: This retrospective study included 120 patients with HCC who underwentlaparoscopic hepatectomy in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from February 2020 to November 2022. Among them, 58 patients underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery (laparoscopic group), and 62 patients underwent ICG-F assisted laparoscopic surgery (ICG-F group). The perioperative conditions, levels of inflammatory factors before and after the operation, levels of liver function indexes, and incidence of complications in the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results: The perioperative indexes of patients in the ICG-F group improved compared to the laparoscopic group (P<0.05). On the second day after the operation, the inflammatory response in the two groups was significantly higher than before the operation and significantly lower in the ICG-F group compared to the laparoscopic group (P<0.05). Liver function of the two groups decreased two days after the surgery and was markedly lower in the ICG-F group than the laparoscopic group (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the ICG-F group was significantly lower than that in the laparoscopic group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery, ICG-F-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC can reduce surgical injury, alleviate the degree of inflammatory response, protect patients’ liver function, and significantly reduce the risk of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been well known for its advantages in the past 10 years, but little is known regarding its oncologic outcomes while the technique is being developed at an institution. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of LH for patients with primary HCC at favorable locations, focusing on postoperative short- and long-term outcomes during the development period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with primary HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2013 and December 2019 at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital. Patients with HCC at favorable locations (anterolateral segments) were collected and divided into laparoscopic and open hepatectomy (OH) groups. The data for long-term outcomes, as the primary endpoint, and postoperative outcomes, as the secondary endpoint, were collected. Results: The review included 159 patients, among which 42 and 44 patients in favorable locations underwent open and laparoscopic hepatectomies, respectively. There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, major complication rate, and 90-day mortality rate between the two groups. The laparoscopic group had a lower transfusion rate, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower 90-day readmission rate. There were no significant differences in 12-, 36-, and 60-month overall survival and disease-free survival. Conclusion: LH for favorably located HCC is the preferred surgical approach compared to OH due to the decreased transfusion rate, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower 90-day readmission rate. LH did not compromise the 90-day mortality rate with sustained long-term overall and disease-free survival. LH for favorably located HCC is a safe and effective surgical approach even during the development period.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been well known for its advantages in the past 10 years, but little is known regarding its oncologic outcomes while the technique is being developed at an institution. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of LH for patients with primary HCC at favorable locations, focusing on postoperative short- and long-term outcomes during the development period. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with primary HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2013 and December 2019 at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital. Patients with HCC at favorable locations (anterolateral segments) were collected and divided into laparoscopic and open hepatectomy (OH) groups. The data for long-term outcomes, as the primary endpoint, and postoperative outcomes, as the secondary endpoint, were collected. Results: The review included 159 patients, among which 42 and 44 patients in favorable locations underwent open and laparoscopic hepatectomies, respectively. There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, major complication rate, and 90-day mortality rate between the two groups. The laparoscopic group had a lower transfusion rate, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower 90-day readmission rate. There were no significant differences in 12-, 36-, and 60-month overall survival and disease-free survival. Conclusion: LH for favorably located HCC is the preferred surgical approach compared to OH due to the decreased transfusion rate, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower 90-day readmission rate. LH did not compromise the 90-day mortality rate with sustained long-term overall and disease-free survival. LH for favorably located HCC is a safe and effective surgical approach even during the development period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Although laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are the 2 principal minimally invasive surgical approaches and the first line of treatments for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is not clear which one has greater safety and efficacy. In this meta-analysis, we aim to compare the safety and effectiveness of LH versus RFA for patients with HCC, especially where perioperative and postoperative outcomes differrent. Methods In PROSPERO, a meta-analysis with registration number CRD42021257575 was registered. Using an established search strategy, we systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase to identify eligible studies before June 2023. Data on operative times, blood loss, length of stay, overall complications, overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were subjected to meta-analysis. Results Overall, the present meta-analysis included 8 retrospective and 6 PSM studies comprising 1,848 patients (810 and 1,038 patients underwent LH and RFA). In this meta-analysis, neither LH nor RFA showed significant differences in 1-year and 3-year OS rate and 5-year RFS rate. Despite this, in comparison to the RFA group, LH resulted in significantly higher 1-year(p

Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has become a common surgery for the treatment of liver tumor. To evaluate the surgical quality of laparoscopic hepatectomy under the context of precision surgery with Textbook outcome (TO), a comprehensive and holistic assessment approach. A total of 1056 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy from May 2016 and December 2022 were enrolled in the study. All the patients were performed hepatectomy. The rate of TO and factors associated with achieving TO were examined. Among the 1056 patients, 75 % patients achieved TO. The main reason limited patients achieving textbook outcomes was prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS). The univariate analysis indicated that age>65, ASA classification ≥3, liver cirrhosis, tumor size > 3 cm, tumor number ≥2, type of primary cancer, and IWATE DSS were significantly associated with non-achievement of TO. The multivariate analysis indicated that the ASA classification ≥3 and advanced difficulty level in IWATE DSS independent factors associated with achieving TO. Reaching TO can significantly prolong the postoperative recurrence time and overall survival time of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. In the context of precision surgery, 75 % patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy achieved a TO. Patients who achieved TO had significantly improved survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are the 2 principal minimally invasive surgical approaches and the first line of treatments for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is not clear which one has greater safety and efficacy. In this meta-analysis, we aim to compare the safety and effectiveness of LH versus RFA for patients with HCC, especially where perioperative and postoperative outcomes differrent. Methods: In PROSPERO, a meta-analysis with registration number CRD42021257575 was registered. Using an established search strategy, we systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase to identify eligible studies before June 2023. Data on operative times, blood loss, length of stay, overall complications, overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were subjected to meta-analysis. Results: Overall, the present meta-analysis included 8 retrospective and 6 PSM studies comprising 1,848 patients (810 and 1,038 patients underwent LH and RFA). In this meta-analysis, neither LH nor RFA showed significant differences in 1-year and 3-year OS rate and 5-year RFS rate. Despite this, in comparison to the RFA group, LH resulted in significantly higher 1-year(p<0.0001) and 3-year RFS rate (p = 0.005), higher 5-year OS rate (p = 0.008), lower local recurrence rate (p<0.00001), longer length of stay(LOS) (p<0.0001), longer operative time(p<0.0001), more blood loss (p<0.0001), and higher rate of complications (p=0.001). Conclusions: Comparative studies indicate that LH seemed to provide better OS and lower local recurrence rate, but higher complication rate and longer hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The safety of laparoscopic hepatectomy for inherited coagulation disorders is unclear; however, the safety of open hepatectomy has been reported in several studies. Herein, we report the first case of a laparoscopic hepatectomy for a patient with von Willebrand Disease (VWD). Case presentation: A 76-year-old male with a history of chronic hepatitis C and VWD type 2B was advised surgical resection of a 4 cm hepatocellular carcinoma in segment 7 of the liver. The patient was diagnosed with VWD in his 40 s due to gastrointestinal bleeding caused by gastric erosion. The von Willebrand factor (VWF) ristocetin cofactor activity was 30%, and VWF large multimer deficiency and increased ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination were observed. The preoperative platelet count was reduced to 3.5 × 104/μL; however, preoperative imaging findings had no evidence of liver cirrhosis, such as any collateral formations and splenomegaly. The indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min was 10%, and his Child–Pugh score was 5 (classification A). Perioperatively, VWF/factor VIII was administered in accordance with our institutional protocol. A laparoscopic partial hepatectomy of the right posterior segment was performed. The most bleeding during surgery occurred during the mobilization of the right lobe of the liver due to inflammatory adhesion between the retroperitoneum and the tumor. Bleeding during parenchymal transection was controlable. The duration of hepatic inflow occlusion was 65 min. The surgical duration was 349 min, and the estimated blood loss was 2150 ml. Four units of red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma were transfused at the initiation of parenchymal transection, and 10 units of platelets were transfused at the end of the parenchymal transection. On postoperative day 1, the transection surface drainage fluid became hemorrhagic, and emergency contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed extravasation in the greater omentum. Percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization of the omental branch of the right gastroepiploic artery was performed. No further postoperative interventions were required. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 14. Conclusion: The indications for laparoscopic hepatectomy in patients with VWD should be carefully considered, and an open approach may still be the standard approach for patients with VWD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aim The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Medline from January 2000 to May 2022 for literature comparing the efficacy of LH and PRFA in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (largest tumour diameter ≤ 3 cm, number of intrahepatic tumours ≤3, or diameter of a single intrahepatic lesion ≤5 cm. ). We assessed overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), local recurrence and complication rates. Results A total of 1886 patients with small HCC were included in the 8 studies included in this study, of which 839 underwent LH and 1047 underwent PRAF. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the two groups had the same 3-year (HR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.67 to 1.47) and 5-year (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.87) OS rates, and the LH group had better 3-year (HR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.68) and 5-year (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.85) RFS rates. The LH group had a lower local recurrence rate (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.32), but the PRFA group had a lower complication rate (OR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.76 to 3.54). Conclusion There was no difference in OS between LH and PRFA in the treatment of small HCC. LH had a higher RFS rate and a lower local recurrence rate, but PRFA had a lower complication rate. In general, the long-term efficacy of LH in the treatment of small HCC is better than that of PRFA. Considering the advantages of less trauma and a low complication rate of PRFA, a large number of RCT studies are needed for further verification in the future.

Laparoscopic-assisted microwave ablation (LAMWA), as one of the locoregional therapies, has been employed to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of LAMWA and laparoscopic hepatectomy in the treatment of small HCC.This study included 140 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 68 patients received LAMWA and 72 patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy. The perioperative condition, liver function recovery, the alpha fetoprotein (AFP) level, morbidities, hospitalization time, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence rate between the two groups were compared. The rate of complete elimination of tumor tissue was 100% and the AFP level was returned to normal within 3 months after surgery in both groups (P > 0.05). The mean alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) peak in the LAMWA group was lower than that in the laparoscopic hepatectomy group (259.51 ± 188.75 VS 388.9 ± 173.65, P = 0.000) and (267.34 ± 190.65 VS 393.1 ± 185.67, P = 0.000), respectively. The mean operation time in the LAMWA group was shorter than that in the laparoscopic hepatectomy group (89 ± 31 min VS 259 ± 48 min, P = 0.000). The blood loss in the LAMWA group was less than that in the laparoscopic hepatectomy group (58.4 ± 64.0 ml VS 213.0 ± 108.2 ml, P = 0.000). Compared with the laparoscopic hepatectomy group, patients in the LAMWA group had lower mean hospital stay (4.8 ± 1.2d VS 11.5 ± 2.9d, P = 0.000). The morbidities of the LAMWA group and the hepatectomy group were 14.7%(10/68) and 34.7%(25/72), respectively (P = 0.006). The one-, three-, and five-year OS rates were 88.2%, 69.9%, 45.6% for the LAMWA group and 86.1%, 72.9%, 51.4% for the laparoscopic hepatectomy group (P = 0.693). The corresponding DFS rates for the two groups were 76.3%, 48.1%, 27.9% and 73.2%, 56.7%, 32.0% (P = 0.958). Laparoscopic-assisted microwave ablation is a safe and effective therapeutic option for selected small HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to investigate the effects of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) nursing program on surgical site wound infections (SSWI) and postoperative complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) for hepatocellular carcinoma. Computer searches of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases were conducted to gather randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that were published from inception to September 2023. The target studies evaluated the effects of the ERAS nursing program in patients undergoing LH for hepatocellular carcinoma. Two independent authors screened the literature, extracted the data and performed quality assessments. Dichotomous variables were analysed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), as effect analysis statistics. Stata software (version 17.0) was used for data analysis. Eleven RCTs with 765 patients were included, with 383 patients in the ERAS group and 382 in the control group. The results revealed that the incidence of SSWI (OR = 0.32, 95%CI:0.15–0.71, p = 0.004) and postoperative complications (OR = 0.23, 95%CI:0.15–0.34, p < 0.001) were both significantly reduced in the ERAS group, compared with the control group. The ERAS nursing program, when applied to patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatic cancer resection, can effectively reduce the incidence of SSWI and postoperative complications, thus promoting postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the effectiveness of robotic hepatectomy (RH) has been evaluated in several studies, the superiority of RH over other approaches has not been definitely established. Therefore, in the present propensity score–matched cohort study, we compared RH and laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) in terms of perioperative and oncologic outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent RH or LH for benign and malignant liver lesions at a single center in Taiwan at any time between 2014 and 2020. Confounding factors, specifically age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, IWATE criteria, and Charlson comorbidity index, were adjusted through propensity score matching (PSM). Results: A total of 329 patients were finally included in this study. Two homogeneous groups (RH and LH; n, 72 each) were formed using PSM. The RH group had a longer operative time (median: 231 vs.180 min, respectively; P = .001) and lower conversion (to open surgery) rate (9.7% vs.0.0%, respectively; P = .013) than did the LH group. However, the two groups did not differ in terms of other perioperative outcomes, specifically blood loss, hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, mortality, morbidity, or tumor margin status. Conclusions: The rate of conversion to open surgery is lower in RH than in LH. Although operative time is longer in RH than in LH, RH is feasible and safe for patients with benign or malignant liver lesion. Our study also demonstrated comparable oncological results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma between LH and RH group.

Abstract Background Prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence‐II (PIVKA‐II) and Alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) have been widely used as diagnostic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the prognostic values of the two serum markers and their clinical usefulness in patient selection for different surgical approaches remain largely unclear. Methods HCC patients received surgical treatment between 2015 and 2019 were included. Patients were divided into four statuses according to the serum PIVKA‐II and AFP secretion status: PIVKA‐II (−) AFP (−) (status 1); PIVKA‐II (+) AFP (−) (status 2); PIVKA‐II (−) AFP (+) (status 3); PIVKA‐II (+) AFP (+) (status 4). Kaplan–Meier analyses were conducted to compare the survivals of the four groups and the HCC patients received different surgical interventions; time‐dependent AUC curves were introduced to evaluate the prognostic value of the PIV‐AFP status; Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic indexes for overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS). Results A total of 518 patients were included. Patients with PIVKA‐II (+) and APF (+) presented significantly decreased OS and RFS comparing to the other statuses. The areas under ROC curves of PIV‐AFP status in predicting OS and RFS were superior to the PIVKA‐II or the AFP alone. The HCC patients in early stages with PIVKA‐II (+) and APF (+) had worse RFS when received laparoscopic hepatectomy than those who received open hepatectomy, whereas there was no difference in other secretion statuses. The PIVKA‐II (+) and AFP (+) secretion status was an independent risk factor for OS, RFS. Conclusions The PIV‐AFP secretion status is of favorable clinical utility in predicting the OS and RFS of the HCC patients; extra caution is needed when applicated the laparoscopic approach in the HCC patients with PIVKA‐II (+) and AFP (+).

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a life-threatening complication of hemophilia. Reports of patients with hemophilia undergoing hepatectomy for HCC are scarce. We report the cases of patients with hemophilia A and B who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC. Perioperative hemophilia management was supervised by the hematology team. The patients received coagulation factor bolus injections immediately preoperatively, then continuous intravenous infusions intra- and postoperatively. A laparoscopic segment II partial hepatectomy was performed in case 1. Due to severe adhesions, intermittent pedicle clamping could not be used during parenchymal transection. The surgical duration was 235 min, and the estimated blood loss was 13 mL. The patient was discharged 11 days postoperatively without any complications. In case 2, laparoscopic partial hepatectomy for segments V/VI was performed. An intermittent pedicle clamp (Pringle method) was used during parenchymal transection. The surgical duration and estimated blood loss were 219 min and 18 mL, respectively. The patient was discharged 8 days postoperatively without complications. In both cases, intraoperative bleeding was minimal, and the patients were discharged without postoperative hemorrhage with appropriate perioperative coagulation factor management. Laparoscopic hepatectomy can be safely performed and appears to be a feasible treatment option for HCC in patients with hemophilia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhenyun Yang,1,2,&ast; Zili Hu,1,2,&ast; Yizhen Fu,1,2 Dandan Hu,1,2 Zhongguo Zhou,1,2 Minshan Chen,1,2 Yangxun Pan,1,2 Yaojun Zhang1,2 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yangxun Pan; Yaojun Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-20-87343828, Email panyx@sysucc.org.cn; zhangyuj@sysucc.org.cnBackground: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) is more advantageous than open hepatectomy (OH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, surgical methods of conversion resection for patients with HCC have not been compared. We aimed to compare LH with OH for HCC after conversion therapy.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 334 patients who underwent conversion resection between January 2016 and December 2020 at Sun Yat-sen University, China. Propensity score matching (PSM) of patients in a ratio of 1:2 was conducted, and 62 patients and 121 patients who underwent LH and OH, respectively, were matched.Results: The LH and OH groups differed at baseline in terms of ALT (P=0.008), AFP (P=0.042), largest tumor size (P=0.028), macrovascular invasion (P=0.006), BCLC stages (P=0.021), and CNLC stages (P=0.048). The incidences of postoperative complications before and after PSM were lower in the LH group than in the OH group (P=0.007 and 0.003, respectively). There were no significant differences in the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between the two groups (P=0.79 and 0.8, respectively). According to the multivariable Cox regression analyses, the largest tumor size (P< 0.0001) and tumor number (P=0.004) were significant and independent prognostic factors of OS.Conclusion: In our study, we found that LH is technically feasible and safe in patients after conversion therapy. Compared with OH, LH showed similar OS and RFS and was associated with fewer postoperative complications.Keywords: laparoscopic hepatectomy, open hepatectomy, hepatocellular carcinoma, conversion therapy, propensity score matching

Although the effectiveness of robotic hepatectomy (RH) has been evaluated in several studies, the superiority of RH over other approaches has not been definitely established. Therefore, in the present propensity score–matched cohort study, we compared RH and laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) in terms of perioperative and oncologic outcomes. This retrospective study included patients who underwent RH or LH for benign and malignant liver lesions at a single center in Taiwan at any time between 2014 and 2020. Confounding factors, specifically age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, IWATE criteria, and Charlson comorbidity index, were adjusted through propensity score matching (PSM). A total of 329 patients were finally included in this study. Two homogeneous groups (RH and LH; n, 72 each) were formed using PSM. The RH group had a longer operative time (median: 231 vs.180 min, respectively; P =.001) and lower conversion (to open surgery) rate (9.7% vs.0.0%, respectively; P =.013) than did the LH group. However, the two groups did not differ in terms of other perioperative outcomes, specifically blood loss, hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, mortality, morbidity, or tumor margin status. The rate of conversion to open surgery is lower in RH than in LH. Although operative time is longer in RH than in LH, RH is feasible and safe for patients with benign or malignant liver lesion. Our study also demonstrated comparable oncological results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma between LH and RH group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence‐II (PIVKA‐II) and Alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) have been widely used as diagnostic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the prognostic values of the two serum markers and their clinical usefulness in patient selection for different surgical approaches remain largely unclear. Methods: HCC patients received surgical treatment between 2015 and 2019 were included. Patients were divided into four statuses according to the serum PIVKA‐II and AFP secretion status: PIVKA‐II (−) AFP (−) (status 1); PIVKA‐II (+) AFP (−) (status 2); PIVKA‐II (−) AFP (+) (status 3); PIVKA‐II (+) AFP (+) (status 4). Kaplan–Meier analyses were conducted to compare the survivals of the four groups and the HCC patients received different surgical interventions; time‐dependent AUC curves were introduced to evaluate the prognostic value of the PIV‐AFP status; Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic indexes for overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS). Results: A total of 518 patients were included. Patients with PIVKA‐II (+) and APF (+) presented significantly decreased OS and RFS comparing to the other statuses. The areas under ROC curves of PIV‐AFP status in predicting OS and RFS were superior to the PIVKA‐II or the AFP alone. The HCC patients in early stages with PIVKA‐II (+) and APF (+) had worse RFS when received laparoscopic hepatectomy than those who received open hepatectomy, whereas there was no difference in other secretion statuses. The PIVKA‐II (+) and AFP (+) secretion status was an independent risk factor for OS, RFS. Conclusions: The PIV‐AFP secretion status is of favorable clinical utility in predicting the OS and RFS of the HCC patients; extra caution is needed when applicated the laparoscopic approach in the HCC patients with PIVKA‐II (+) and AFP (+). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) is now widely performed in treating primary liver cancer (PLC) and yields equal long-term and superior short-term outcomes to those of open liver resection (OLR). The optimal surgical approach for resectable PLC (rPLC) remains controversial. Herein, we aimed to develop a nomogram to determine the most appropriate resection approach for the individual patient. Methods Patients with rPLC who underwent hepatectomy from January 2013 to December 2018 were reviewed. Prediction model for risky surgery during LLR was constructed. Results A total of 900 patients in the LLR cohort and 423 patients in the OLR cohort were included. A history of previous antitumor treatment, tumor diameter, tumor location and resection extent were independently associated with risky surgery of LLR. The nomogram which was constructed based on these risk factors demonstrated good accuracy in predicting risky surgery with a C index of 0.83 in the development cohort and of 0.76 in the validation cohort. Patients were stratified into high-, medium- or low-risk levels for receiving LLR if the calculated score was more than 0.8, between 0.2 and 0.8 or less than 0.2, respectively. High-risk patients who underwent LLR had more blood loss (441 ml to 417 ml) and a longer surgery time (183 min to 150 min) than those who received OLR. Conclusions Patients classified into the high-risk level for LLR instead undergo OLR to reduce surgical risks and complications and patients classified into the low-risk level undergo LLR to maximize the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. Trial registration This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2100049446).

Right-sided ligamentum teres (RSLT) is a rare anatomic variant in which the fetal umbilical vein connects to the right portal vein. Patients with RSLT frequently have hepatic vasculature and bile duct anomalies, which increase the risk of complications with hepatectomy. Most patients with RSLT undergo open hepatectomy. Herein, we describe a patient with RSLT and hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy. The patient was a 69-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma located in the left liver based on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging. Imaging also demonstrated RSLT. Three-dimensional CT analysis revealed independent right lateral type anomalies of the portal vein and bile duct. A laparoscopic extended left lateral sectionectomy was performed after careful surgical planning. Ultrasonography was used frequently during surgery to avoid damaging the right hepatic vasculature. The left lateral and partial left median sections were removed as planned. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful. Avoiding injury to the right hepatic vasculature is essential when performing left lobectomy, including left lateral sectionectomy, in patients with RSLT. Laparoscopic hepatectomy can be performed safely in patients with RSLT, provided that careful surgical planning is conducted using preoperative three-dimensional CT analysis and intraoperative ultrasonography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tremendous development of laparoscopic hepatectomy helps to relieve the difficulties encountered during open hepatectomy. Therefore, a difficulty scoring system was produced to assess the difficulty grade of laparoscopic hepatectomy. The aim of this study was to explore whether the IWATE-DSS is comparable to the long-term outcomes of LH for hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinical data from all consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Hangzhou, were prospectively collected and reviewed. The difficulty level of the operations was graded using the IWATE-DSS. The perioperative and postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy were compared at each difficulty level. A total of 300 patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC during the study period. The perioperative and postoperative outcomes were significantly different between the groups according to the IWATE-DSS. There were significant differences in both the intraoperative (bleeding control p = 0.000; surgical time p = 0.000; estimated blood loss p = 0.033) and postoperative variables (postoperative hospital stay p = 0.005) among these four groups. The 5-year disease-free survival decreased significantly along with the LH difficulty score (p = 0.000). The 5-year overall survival also decreased significantly along with the LH difficulty score (p = 0.000). IWATE-DSS was significantly correlated with short- and long-term outcomes in patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Factor V (FV) deficiency is an extremely rare disease, with an incidence of 1 in 1 million. The bleeding symptoms are mild, and the prognosis is good; however, the safety of surgical treatment is unclear, because there are few available reports. Herein, we report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with congenital FV deficiency in a patient who safely underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy. Case presentation A 79-year-old man, diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma of liver segment 5, with type C cirrhosis and sustained virological response visited our hospital. He had congenital FV deficiency, and blood tests showed coagulation deficiencies with an FV activity of

ImportanceThis is the first study to investigate the correlation between intra-operative hemodynamic changes and postoperative physiological status.ObjectiveDesign, settings, and participantsPatients receiving laparoscopic hepatectomy were routinely monitored using FloTract for goal-directed fluid management. The Pringle maneuver was routinely performed during parenchymal dissection and the hemodynamic changes were prospectively recorded. We retrospectively analyzed the continuous hemodynamic data from FloTrac to compare with postoperative physiological outcomes.ExposureThe Pringle maneuver during laparoscopic hepatectomy.Main outcome(s) and measure(s)ResultsStroke volume variation that did not recover from the relief of the Pringle maneuver during the last application of Pringle maneuver predicted elevated postoperative MELD-Na scores.Conclusions and relevanceThe complexity of the hemodynamic data recorded by the FloTrac system during the Pringle Maneuver in laparoscopic hepatectomy can be effectively analyzed using the growth mixture modeling (GMM) method. The results can potentially predict the risk of short-term liver function deterioration.

Background: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) is considered a safe and feasible treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in recent studies. However, in elderly patients, application of LH still remains controversial, and the outcomes of LH versus open hepatectomy (OH) have not been fully evaluated. Our objective is to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of LH with OH in elderly patients with HCC. Materials and Methods: All studies comparing LH and OH in elderly patients with HCC were systematically searched in the databases of PubMed, EmBase, and Web of Science. Statistical analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration, 2014). The last search was performed on March 20, 2022. Short-term outcomes include blood loss, operation time, blood transfusion, overall and major postoperative complications, mortality, hospital stay, tumor size, and surgical margin. Long-term outcomes include 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS); 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS); and 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: Fourteen studies involving 1596 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The short-term outcomes of LH were a shorter postoperative hospital stay and fewer overall and major postoperative complications (all P < .00001). However, there were no significant differences in operation time, blood loss, blood transfusion rate, surgical margin, tumor size, and mortality. For the long-term outcomes, LH is comparable with OH in terms of 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS; 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS; and 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS. Conclusions: Compared with OH, LH is a safe and feasible treatment for elderly patients with HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) is now widely performed in treating primary liver cancer (PLC) and yields equal long-term and superior short-term outcomes to those of open liver resection (OLR). The optimal surgical approach for resectable PLC (rPLC) remains controversial. Herein, we aimed to develop a nomogram to determine the most appropriate resection approach for the individual patient. Methods: Patients with rPLC who underwent hepatectomy from January 2013 to December 2018 were reviewed. Prediction model for risky surgery during LLR was constructed. Results: A total of 900 patients in the LLR cohort and 423 patients in the OLR cohort were included. A history of previous antitumor treatment, tumor diameter, tumor location and resection extent were independently associated with risky surgery of LLR. The nomogram which was constructed based on these risk factors demonstrated good accuracy in predicting risky surgery with a C index of 0.83 in the development cohort and of 0.76 in the validation cohort. Patients were stratified into high-, medium- or low-risk levels for receiving LLR if the calculated score was more than 0.8, between 0.2 and 0.8 or less than 0.2, respectively. High-risk patients who underwent LLR had more blood loss (441 ml to 417 ml) and a longer surgery time (183 min to 150 min) than those who received OLR. Conclusions: Patients classified into the high-risk level for LLR instead undergo OLR to reduce surgical risks and complications and patients classified into the low-risk level undergo LLR to maximize the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2100049446). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Surgically removing part of the liver is an essential method of treating cancers in the liver. Two most commonly removed cancers are called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). Over the last two decades, a minimally invasive technique, called laparoscopic liver resection (LLR), have been developed to make recovery from these operations easier compared to existing method called open liver resection (OLR). In this article, we review the studies that compared LLR and OLR and describe their findings. Patients undergoing LLR have fewer complications, reduced blood loss during the operation and shorter hospital length of stay with similar long-term survival as compared to OLR. We also describe an approach to selecting patients best suited for LLR and review literature behind a new emerging robotic-assisted liver resection technique. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) are the two most common malignant tumors that require liver resection. While liver transplantation is the best treatment for HCC, organ shortages and high costs limit the availability of this option for many patients and make resection the mainstay of treatment. For patients with CRLM, surgical resection with negative margins is the only potentially curative option. Over the last two decades, laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has been increasingly adopted for the resection of a variety of tumors and was found to have similar long-term outcomes compared to open liver resection (OLR) while offering the benefits of improved short-term outcomes. In this review, we discuss the current literature on the outcomes of LLR vs. OLR for patients with HCC and CRLM. Although the use of LLR for HCC and CRLM is increasing, it is not appropriate for all patients. We describe an approach to selecting patients best-suited for LLR. The four common difficulty-scoring systems for LLR are summarized. Additionally, we review the current evidence behind the emerging robotically assisted liver resection technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of postoperative adhesions is directly correlated with the difficulty level of repeat hepatectomies. However, the incidence, location, and severity of postoperative adhesions in relation to hepatectomy-related operative procedures are yet unclear. First hepatectomy-induced hard dense adhesions were evaluated from the surgical records and/or videos of 168 patients who underwent second hepatectomies. The incidence of postoperative hard dense adhesions around the liver was significantly associated with locations, such as the hepatic cut surface, dissected areas around the liver, and peri-incision peritoneum, and hepatectomy-related operative procedures, such as Pringle maneuver and cholecystectomy. The incidence of hard dense adhesions after dissection was higher around the right liver than in the left infraphrenic space. Further, the incidence of hard dense adhesions around the hepatoduodenal ligament or Morison pouch was greater than 30% even in patients who did not undergo Pringle maneuver, cholecystectomy, or hepatorenal ligament dissection. Although the incidence of hard dense adhesions of the peritoneum around the incision was higher after open hepatectomy than after laparoscopic hepatectomy, adhesion barrier use reduced the incidence of such adhesions in patients after open hepatectomy. Hepatectomy-related operative procedures such as peri-hepatic dissection, Pringle maneuver and cholecystectomy are directly associated with postoperative hard dense adhesions. However, the incidence of postoperative hard dense adhesions around the hepatoduodenal ligament and Morison pouch was high even when the above-mentioned operative procedures were not performed. These findings may help inform clinical decisions regarding the indications and sites for adhesion barrier use during hepatectomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Factor V (FV) deficiency is an extremely rare disease, with an incidence of 1 in 1 million. The bleeding symptoms are mild, and the prognosis is good; however, the safety of surgical treatment is unclear, because there are few available reports. Herein, we report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with congenital FV deficiency in a patient who safely underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy. Case presentation: A 79-year-old man, diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma of liver segment 5, with type C cirrhosis and sustained virological response visited our hospital. He had congenital FV deficiency, and blood tests showed coagulation deficiencies with an FV activity of < 2.6%, prothrombin time activity of 11%, and activated partial thromboplastin time of 100.3 s. Surgery and radiofrequency ablation were considered for treatment. Since the tumor was in contact with the Glissonean pedicle 5 + 6, surgery was judged to be superior from the viewpoint of safety and curability. After discussing the safety of the surgery with a hematologist, it was determined that the operation could be performed safely by transfusing sufficient fresh frozen plasma (FFP). Laparoscopic hepatic segment 5 + 6 subsegmental resection was performed with FFP transfusion, fluid restriction, airway pressure control, and central venous pressure reduction to control the bleeding. Bleeding was minimized during the transection of the liver parenchyma and no bleeding tendency was observed. The operative time was 445 min, and the amount of intraoperative bleeding was 171 mL. No complications, such as postoperative bleeding, were observed, and the patient was discharged on the eighth postoperative day. Conclusions: Liver surgery can be performed safely in FV-deficient patients with strict coagulation capacity monitoring and appropriate transfusion of FFP. Preoperative evaluation of cardiac function to determine tolerance to high doses of FFP and ingenuity of surgery and intraoperative management to minimize blood loss are important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy is still a challenging procedure for hepatobiliary surgeons because of its deep location and narrow operating space. Hilar exposure and adequate operation space play an important role during laparoscopic caudate lobectomy. Very few references are available on this technique, and in this study, we present a new suspension technique to assist laparoscopic caudate lobectomy. Materials and Methods: The data of patients with caudate hepatic tumors who underwent laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy with or without the double suspension technique at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 25 patients underwent laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy at Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital between June 2016 and March 2022. Eight patients had perioperative complications, and no patient died within 30 days after surgery. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of conversion rate (8.3% versus 7.7%; P = .954), complication rate (25.0% versus 38.5%; P = .480), length of stay (8.0 [6.0-11.0] days versus 9.0 [6.0-19.0] days; P = .098), and postoperative liver function changes. Patients who underwent resection in the suspension group had shorter operation time (154.9 ± 44.3 minutes versus 224 ± 86.3 minutes; P = .018), inferior vena cava dissection time (30.1 ± 5.4 minutes versus 44.8 ± 7.4 minutes; P < .001), and less bleeding (125.0 [20-800.0] mL versus 350 [80-850.0] mL, P = .011). Conclusions: This double suspension technique is a safe and feasible method to assist laparoscopic caudate lobectomy. It provides clear exposure and adequate surgical space, thereby shortening the operation time and reducing intraoperative blood loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yao Chen,&ast; Jianping Zhao,&ast; Zhanguo Zhang, Zeyang Ding, Yifa Chen, Xiaoping Chen, Wanguang Zhang Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yifa Chen; Wanguang ZhangHepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, HUST, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail yfchen4533@163.com; wgzhang@tjh.tjmu.edu.cnBackground: The incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) is unclear, and there is no effective method for DVT risk assessment in these patients.Methods: The data from the total of 355 consecutive HCC patients who underwent LH were included. A DVT risk algorithm was developed using a training set (TS) of 243 patients, and its predictive performance was evaluated in both the TS and a validation set (VS) of 112 patients. The model was then used to develop a DVT risk nomogram (TRN).Results: The incidence of DVT in the present study was 18.6%. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities and operative position were independent risk factors for DVT in the TS. The model based on these factors had a good predictive ability. In the TS, it had an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve of 0.861, Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness of fit p value of 0.626, sensitivity of 44.4%, specificity of 96.5%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 74.1%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 88.4%, and accuracy of 86.8%. In the VS, it had an AUC of 0.818, H-L p value of 0.259, sensitivity of 38.1%, specificity of 98.9%, PPV of 88.9%, NPV of 87.4%, and accuracy of 87.5%. The TRN performed well in both the internal and the external validation, indicating a good clinical application value. The TRN had a better predictive value of DVT than the Caprini score (p < 0.001).Conclusion: The incidence of DVT after LH was high, and should not be neglected in HCC patients. The TRN provides an efficacious method for DVT risk evaluation and individualized pharmacological thromboprophylaxis.Keywords: deep vein thrombosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, laparoscopic hepatectomy, nomogram

To determine if single-injection bilateral posterior quadratus lumborum block (QLB) with ropivacaine would improve postoperative analgesia in the first 24 h after laparoscopic hepatectomy, compared with 0.9% saline. Prospective, double blinded, randomized controlled trial. A single tertiary care center from November 2021 and January 2023. A total of 94 patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic hepatectomy due to hepatocellular carcinoma. Ninety-four patients were randomized into a QLB group (receiving 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine on each side, 150 mg in total) or a control group (receiving 20 mL of 0.9% saline on each side). The primary outcome was the cumulative opioid consumption during the initial 24-h post-surgery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and intraoperative and recovery parameters. The mean cumulative opioid consumption during the initial 24-h post-surgery was 30.8 ± 22.4 mg in the QLB group (n = 46) and 34.0 ± 19.4 mg in the control group (n = 46, mean differences: −3.3 mg, 95% confidence interval, −11.9 to 5.4, p = 0.457). The mean resting pain score at 1 h post-surgery was significantly lower in the QLB group than in the control group (5 [4–6.25] vs. 7 [4.75–8], p = 0.035). No significant intergroup differences were observed in the resting or coughing pain scores at other time points or in other secondary outcomes. Preoperative bilateral posterior QLB did not reduce cumulative opioid consumption during the first 24 h after laparoscopic hepatectomy. • Posterior QLB didn't reduce postoperative opioid dose in laparoscopic hepatectomy. • Posterior QLB and control groups showed comparable recovery outcomes. • Need for further studies focusing on optimizing the timing and dosage of QLB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there is little knowledge about the value of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B. Thus, this study was performed to assess the perioperative and oncological outcomes of LLR for these patients by comparison with open liver resection (OLR). Between April 2015 and October 2018, a total of 217 resectable HCC patients with BCLC stage B were eligible for this study. Patients were divided into the LLR group and the OLR group according to different procedures. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to adjust for known confounders. Short- and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. LLR was performed in 75 of the 217 included patients. After PSM, 72 patients with well-balanced baseline levels were enrolled into each group. Although the operative time was significantly longer in the LLR group than in the OLR group (median, 237.5 vs. 210 min, P = 0.024), the intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the LLR group than in the OLR group (median, 200 vs. 350 ml, P = 0.005). Patients in the LLR group had fewer complications than those in the OLR group (P = 0.035). Furthermore, overall survival (OS, P = 0.827) and recurrence-free survival (RFS, P = 0.694) were comparable between the two groups. LLR for resectable HCC patients with BCLC stage B is safe and feasible in carefully selected patients and has superior perioperative outcomes and similar survival rates compared with OLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor recurrence is an abomination for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving local treatment. Purpose: The aim of the study was to build a hybrid machine learning model to recommend optimized first treatment (laparoscopic hepatectomy [LH] or microwave ablation [MWA]) for naïve single 3–5-cm HCC patients based on early recurrence (ER, ≤2 years) probability. Methods: This retrospective study collected 20 semantic variables of 582 patients (LH: 300, MWA: 282) from 13 hospitals with at least 24 months follow-up. Both groups were divided into training, validation, and test set, respectively. Five algorithms (logistics regression, random forest, neural network, stochastic gradient boosting, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting [XGB]) were used for model building. A model with highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in a validation set of LH and MWA was selected to connect as a hybrid model which made decision based on ER probability. Model testing was performed in a comprehensive set comprising LH and MWA test sets. Results: Four variables in each group were selected to build LH and MWA models, respectively. LH-XGB model (AUC = 0.744) and MWA-stochastic gradient method (AUC = 0.750) model were selected for model building. In the comprehensive set, a treatment confusion matrix was established based on recommended and actual treatment. The predicted ER probabilities were comparable with the actual ER rates for various types of patients in matrix (p > 0.05). ER rate of patients whose actual treatment consistent with recommendation was lower than that of inconsistent patients (LH: 21.2% vs. 46.2%, p = 0.042; MWA: 26.3% vs. 54.1%, p = 0.048). By recommending optimal treatment, the hybrid model can significantly reduce ER probability from 38.2% to 25.6% for overall patients (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The hybrid model can accurately predict ER probability of different treatments and thereby provide reliable evidence to make optimal treatment decision for patients with single 3–5-cm HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) compared the effects of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the results have remained inconsistent. Hence, a meta-analysis and a systematic review of these treatment modalities are necessary to evaluate their efficacy and safety for HCC treatment. Methods From the inception of this meta-analysis and review until August 31, 2019, we searched Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database for RCTs involving LH and RFA treatments of patients with HCC. The studies were screened and the data from these articles were extracted independently by two authors. Summary odd ratios (OR) or mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each outcome with a fixed- or random-effect model. The outcomes for effectiveness evaluations included duration of surgery, estimated bleeding volume, incidence of blood transfusion during surgery, duration of hospital stay, and the outcome for safety included the incidence of cancer recurrence. Results Seven RCTs with a total of 615 patients were identified, 312 and 303 of which underwent RFA and LH treatments, respectively. The duration of surgery (MD = −99.04; 95% CI: −131.26–−66.82), estimated bleeding volume (MD = −241.97; 95% CI: −386.93–−97.02), incidence of blood transfusion during surgery (OR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.02–0.37), and duration of hospital stay (MD = −3.4; 95% CI: −5.22–−1.57) in RFA treatment were significantly lower than those of LH treatment. However, the incidence of cancer recurrence was significantly higher for RFA treatment compared with LH treatment (OR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.72–4.18). Conclusions LH treatment is preferred over RFA treatment with a better radical effect, but RFA treatment is more beneficial with smaller trauma, development of less complications, and shorter operating time when compared with HCC treatment.

Abstract Background The Fontan procedure has become the standard operation for patients with single ventricle physiology. Due to cardiac hypokinesis and high central venous pressure, laparoscopic approach, especially in hepatectomy, was considered as controversial after the Fontan procedure. We presented a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that was successfully treated by pure laparoscopic hepatectomy with stable pneumoperitoneum after the Fontan procedure. Case presentation An 18-year-old man was referred to our hospital for examination of a hepatic tumor. The patient underwent the Fontan procedure for single ventricle physiology at 6 years of age. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a hypovascular mass in segment 2 and a hypervascular mass in segment 4 of the arterial phase, followed by a delayed washout. CT arteriography revealed that both masses showed hypervascular tumors, and CT during arterial portography showed that both were low-density masses. The patient’s general condition was good, and cardiac and respiratory functions were well maintained. Pure laparoscopic hepatectomy was safely performed by keeping the pneumoteritoneum pressure under 6–8 mmHg and monitoring central venous pressure (11–21 mmHg) and end-tidal carbon dioxide. The Pringle maneuver was applied during hepatic resection. The non-anatomical resections were completed without intraoperative complications. The patient was discharged on the 9th postoperative day without postoperative complications. Conclusions Our report suggests that treatment of HCC by pure laparoscopic hepatectomy after Fontan circulation can be safely performed in patients under sufficient circulatory management.

Background/purpose of the study: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has been widely used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is generally believed that the long-term outcomes of LH are not inferior to open hepatectomy (OH). However, the quality of evidence is low. The purpose of this study was to reconstruct time-to-event data for meta-analysis based on Kaplan–Meier curves from propensity-score matched studies and compare survival rates following LH and OH for hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: All published propensity-score matched studies reported in English that compared LH and OH for hepatocellular carcinoma with Kaplan–Meier curves were screened. Patients' survival information was reconstructed with the aid of a computer vision program. Different models (fixed-effects model for two-stage survival analysis and Cox regression for one-stage survival analysis) were performed for sensitivity analysis. In addition to the primary meta-analysis, two specific subgroup analyses were performed on patients by types of resection, cirrhosis status. Results: Time-to-event data were extracted from 45 propensity-score matched studies (N = 8905). According to the time-to-event data and the reconstructed Kaplan–Meier curves, the cumulative overall survival rate was 49.0% and 50.9% in the LH and OH cohorts, respectively, a log-rank test did not demonstrate statistical significance (p > 0.05). The cumulative recurrence-free survival (RFS) probability was both close to 0.0%. The median RFS time was 49.1 (95% CI 46.1 ~ 51.7) and 44.3 (95% CI 41 ~ 46.1) months. The difference in disease status was statistically significant by the Log-rank test (p < 0.05). Using the random-effects model of two-stage analysis, the minor hepatectomy subgroup (HR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.09, 1.55], I2 = 6.2%, p = 0.383) and the shared fragile model of one-stage analysis (HR = 1.44 95% CI [1.23, 1.69], p < 0.001) suggested that LH could significantly prolong RFS of patients compared with OH. This result was consistent with sensitivity analysis using different models. Conclusion: This study was the first reconstructed time-to-event data based on a high-quality propensity-score matching study to compare the survival outcomes of LH and OH in the treatment of HCC. Results suggested that LH can improve RFS in patients with HCC undergoing minor hepatectomy and may also benefit long-term RFS in overall patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing surgical resection still have a high 5-year recurrence rate (~ 60%). With the development of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH), few studies have compared the efficacy between LH and traditional surgical approach on HCC. The objective of this study was to establish a nomogram to evaluate the risk of recurrence in HCC patients who underwent LH. Methods The clinical data of 432 patients, pathologically diagnosed with HCC, underwent LH as initial treatment and had surgical margin > 1 cm were collected. The significance of their clinicopathological features to recurrence-free survival (RFS) was assessed, based on which a nomogram was constructed using a training cohort (n = 324) and was internally validated using a temporal validation cohort (n = 108). Results Hepatitis B surface antigen (hazard ratio [HR], 1.838; P = 0.044), tumor number (HR, 1.774; P = 0.003), tumor thrombus (HR, 2.356; P = 0.003), cancer cell differentiation (HR, 0.745; P = 0.080), and microvascular tumor invasion (HR, 1.673; P =0.007) were found to be independent risk factors for RFS in the training cohort, and were used for constructing the nomogram. The C-index for RFS prediction in the training cohort using the nomogram was 0.786, which was higher than that of the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM classification (C-index, 0.698) and the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system (C-index, 0.632). A high consistency between the nomogram prediction and actual observation was also demonstrated by a calibration curve. An improved predictive benefit in RFS and higher threshold probability of the nomogram were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, which was also confirmed in the validation cohort compared to other systems. Conclusions We constructed and validated a nomogram able to quantify the risk of recurrence after initial LH for HCC patients, which can be clinically implemented in assisting the planification of individual postoperative surveillance protocols.

Xiaocheng Li,1 Yu-Shen Wu,2 Duke Chen,3 Huapeng Lin41Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Medicine, Huaihua, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 2Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of ChinaAim: To compare the effectiveness of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) with that of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: We conducted a literature search without a language restriction to identify relevant available articles that had been published with the EMBASE and PubMed databases and the Cochrane Library. Studies comparing the outcomes of LH versus RFA for HCC were eligible for inclusion.Results: A total of 10 studies with 1570 patients was included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results revealed that LH was superior to RFA in terms of the 5-year overall survival rate (OR=0.53, 95% CI=0.40, 0.69, p

BackgroundThe role of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with cirrhosis remains controversial and needs to be further assessed. The present meta-analysis aimed to compare the surgical and oncological outcomes of LH with those of open hepatectomy (OH) for HCC with cirrhosis.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies comparing LH and OH until Mar 2021. Weighted mean differences (WMDs), odds ratios (ORs), and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated for continuous, dichotomous, and long-term variables, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analysis was performed according to different resection types: major resection and minor resection. The meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0.ResultsA total of 16 case-matched studies (784 patients in the LH group and 1,191 patients in the OH group.) were included in this meta-analysis. In terms of primary outcomes, LH was associated with decreased overall complication rate (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.71; P

Background: The role of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with cirrhosis remains controversial and needs to be further assessed. The present meta-analysis aimed to compare the surgical and oncological outcomes of LH with those of open hepatectomy (OH) for HCC with cirrhosis. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies comparing LH and OH until Mar 2021. Weighted mean differences (WMDs), odds ratios (ORs), and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated for continuous, dichotomous, and long-term variables, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analysis was performed according to different resection types: major resection and minor resection. The meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0. Results: A total of 16 case-matched studies (784 patients in the LH group and 1,191 patients in the OH group.) were included in this meta-analysis. In terms of primary outcomes, LH was associated with decreased overall complication rate (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.71; P <0.01), major complication rate (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.33 to 0.82; P < 0.01), postoperative mortality (OR 0.27; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.66; P <0.01), 1-y overall survival (OS) rate (HR 0.48; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.73; P <0.01), 2-y OS (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.83; P < 0.01), and 5-y OS (0.67; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.85; P < 0.01). With respect to secondary outcomes, blood loss (WMD −69.16; 95% CI −101.72 to −36.61; P < 0.01), length of hospitalization (LOH) (WMD −2.65; 95% CI −3.41 to −1.89; P < 0.01), minor complication rate (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.94; P = 0.02), postoperative liver failure (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.38 to 0.95; P = 0.03), and postoperative ascites (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.72; P < 0.01) was lower in LH than in OH. No significant differences in operation time (P = 0.07), transfusion rate (P = 0.05), 1-, 2-, and 5-year DFS rate (1-year, P = 0.08; 2-year, P = 0.08; 5-year, P = 0.23) were noted between LH and OH. Subgroup analysis based on minor resection revealed that LH had similar favored outcomes in comparison with those in the overall pooled analysis. However, LH had a longer operation time than OH in the setting of major resection (P < 0.01). Conclusion: LH is technically feasible and safe for selected HCC patients with cirrhosis. LH can achieve favored short-term and long-term oncological outcomes in minor liver resection. Laparoscopic major hepatectomy (LMH) seems to offer some advantages over the open approach; however concerns about surgical and oncological safety remain. More evidence on LMH is warranted before expanding its indication to patients with cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The past 25 years have seen the increased use of minimally invasive surgery. The development of these techniques has impacted the domain of liver surgery. This study aimed to describe the safety, feasibility, benefits and results of laparoscopic liver resection in a single tertiary care centre. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent liver surgery between January 2005 and December 2016 at the University Hospital of Basel. We selected all liver resections performed by laparoscopic surgery. To evaluate the results of the laparoscopic liver surgery, we chose the following data: the conversion rate from laparoscopy to open surgery, the median operating time, postoperative complications, the median length of stay following surgery and the median surgical margin in patients with malignant lesions. RESULTS Of the 274 liver operations, 201 (73%) were performed by open surgery and 73 (27%) by laparoscopy. Sixty-nine laparoscopic liver resections were included in this study. The selected laparoscopic liver resections were performed in 65 patients: 38 men and 27 women. The median age was 59 (range 29–85) years. Forty resections were performed for malignant lesions and 29 (42%) for benign diseases. The median operating time was 112 (range 50–247) minutes. The conversion rate was 19%. The most common cause for conversion was bleeding (69% of all conversions, 13% of all patients). Postoperative complications occurred in 15 patients (22%). The median hospitalisation time was 7.1 (range 2–23) days. Thirty-two patients (46.5% of all patients) had hepatocellular carcinoma. The mean tumour size was 25.6 (range 5–55) mm. The median surgical margin was 9 mm. CONCLUSION This study showed that in our centre laparoscopic liver surgery is a safe and effective treatment option for both benign and malignant liver lesions.

Introduction: Laparoscopic repeat liver resection (LRLR) is a safe and effective treatment in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) in particular patients. However, there are less reports about surgery strategy of LRLR for rHCC. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic strategy for bleeding of liver to increase the safety and feasibility of LRLR for rHCC. Methods: In this study, a total of 13 cases of LRLR for rHCC, including 8 males and 5 females; aged 28–72 years, mean age 54 years, who were received at least one laparotomy due to HCC. We employ to block the local blood flow, ligation of the left or right hepatic artery and/or approach of Pringle according to the assessment of the degree of adhesions in the abdominal and the first hepatic portal, the location of the tumour (edge/central). Results: Three cases were less adhesions, nine cases were dense adhesions but 1 case was serious adhesions. Two cases were employed to block the local blood flow, 3 cases were employed to ligation of the left or right hepatic artery and 7 cases were employed to approach of Pringle. Twelve cases were successfully completed by LRLR whereas 1 case was completed by transfer to the open resection, including massive resection in 3 cases (the diameter of resection ≥3 cm), small hepatectomy in 10 cases (the diameter of resection

Abstract Background Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has been identified to be effective and safe for elderly patients (≥70 years). This study aims to assess the short-and long-term outcome of totally laparoscopic liver resection for elderly patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods We retrospectively reviewed 93 patients with HCC who underwent LH from August, 2003 to July, 2013 in a single center. Short-term operative and postoperative outcomes together with long-term outcomes, including disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results A total of 81 patients was finally reviewed, of which 23 patients (28.40%) were grouped to elderly (≥70 years) and 58 patients (71.60%) were divided into younger group (

Abstract Background Laparoscopic liver resection has been regarded as the standard treatment for liver tumors located at the left lateral liver sector. However, few studies have reported the results of laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy (LLS) for HCC, not to mention the feasibility of this emerging technique for the less experienced liver surgeons. The current study would reappraise the Louisville statement by examining the outcome of LLS performed by a young liver surgeon. Methods We retrospectively reviewed two separate groups of patients who underwent open or laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomies at Chung Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou. All laparoscopic hepatectomies were performed by the index young surgeon following a stepwise stapleless LLS. The surgical results and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic vs. open hepatectomies (LH and OH, respectively) with the surgical indication of HCC at left lateral liver sector were further compared and analyzed. Results 18 of 29 patients in the laparoscopic group and 75 patients in the conventional open group had primary HCC. The demographic data was essentially the same for the two groups. Statistical analysis revealed that the LH group had smaller tumor size, higher blood transfusion requirement, longer duration of inflow control and parenchymal transection, and longer operation time. However, no significant difference was observed in terms of complication rate, mortality rate, and hospital stay between the two groups. After adjusting for tumor size, LH and OH showed no statistical difference in the amount of blood transfusion, operation time and patient survival. Conclusions This study demonstrated that stapleless LLS is a safe and feasible procedure for less experienced liver surgeons to resect HCC located at the left lateral liver sector. This stepwise stapleless LSS can not only achieve surgical results comparable to OH but also can provide a platform for liver surgeons to apply laparoscopic technique before conducting more complicated liver resections.

Background: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in elderly patients is increasing worldwide. Although open hepatectomy (OH) yields acceptable outcomes, high morbidity rate is concerned. Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has evolved to improve perioperative outcomes. However, comparative study between both techniques for elderly patients with HCC is scarce. Objective: This study aimed to compare outcomes between LH and OH specifically. Methods: HCC patients aged ≥70 years after hepatectomy (2003–2018) were included. The propensity score matching (PSM) and comparative analyses between groups were performed. Results: After PSM, there were 41 patients in each group with similar demographics, radiographic tumor characteristics, cirrhotic status, and extent of resection. The LH group had a shorter hospital stay (7 vs. 11 days, p = 0.002) compared with the OH group. The completeness of resection and complication rates were not statistically different between groups. The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates were 86.7 and 43.4% in the LH group and 62.2 and 30.8% in the OH group (p = 0.221 and 0.500). Conclusion: Our study confirmed the operative and oncological safety of LH in elderly HCC patients with improved perioperative outcomes compared with OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]