Assessment of ISGLS Definition of Posthepatectomy Liver Failure and Its Effect on Outcome in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a major complication after hepatectomy. As there was no standardized definition, the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS) defined PHLF as increased international normalized ratio and hyperbilirubinemia on or after postoperative day 5 in 2010. We evaluated the impact of the ISGLS definition of PHLF on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We retrospectively analyzed 210 consecutive HCC patients who underwent curative hepatectomy at our facility from 2005 to 2010. The median follow-up period after hepatectomy was 35.2 months. Thirty-nine (18.6 %) patients fulfilled the ISGLS definition of PHLF. Overall survival (OS) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years in patients with/without PHLF were 69.1/93.5, 45.1/72.5, and 45.1/57.8 %, respectively (P = 0.002). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years in patients with/without PHLF were 40.9/65.9, 15.7/38.3, and 15.7/20.3 %, respectively (P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis revealed that PHLF was significantly associated with both OS (P = 0.047) and RFS (P = 0.019). Extent of resection (P