Background: There are scant data regarding oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). The aim of this study is to analyze the oncologic outcomes of LLR for malignant liver tumors (MLT).
Methods: This was a prospective IRB-approved study of 123 patients with MLT undergoing LLR. Kaplan-Meier disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was calculated.
Results: Tumor type was colorectal in 61%, hepatocellular cancer in 21%, neuroendocrine in 5% and others in 13%. Mean tumor size was 3.2 ± 1.9 cm and number of tumors 1.6 ± 1.2. A wedge resection or segmentectomy was performed in 63.4%, bisegmentectomy in 24.4%, and hemihepatectomy in 12.2%. Procedures were totally laparoscopic in 67% and hand-assisted in 33%. Operative time was 235.2 ± 94.3 min, and conversion rate 7.3%. An R0 resection was achieved in 90% of patients and 94% of tumors. Median hospital stay was 3 days. Morbidity was 22% and mortality 0.8%. For patients with colorectal liver metastasis, DFS and OS at 2 years was 47% and 88%, respectively.
Conclusions: This study shows that LLR is a safe and efficacious treatment for selected patients with MLT. Complete resection and margin recurrence rate are comparable to open series in the literature.
Keywords: colorectal cancer; hepatocellular cancer; laparoscopic liver resection; liver cancer.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.