Laparoscopic unroofing of symptomatic congenital liver cysts.
BACKGROUND
Unroofing is the therapy of choice in patients with symptomatic, nonparasitic benign liver cysts-either solitary or diffuse. Techniques which require laparotomy, such as cystojejunostomy or pericystectomy, generally do not justify surgical morbidity in benign conditions.


METHODS
We report the outcome of eight fenestration operations in seven patients with hepatic cysts in laparoscopic performance. Patients were reexamined after a mean follow-up period of 30 months.


RESULTS
All operations were finished without conversion. There were no perioperative complications. Only one patient had a recurrence and was successfully reoperated via laparoscopy including cholecystectomy without refilling of the cyst until reexamination.


CONCLUSIONS
Adoption of minimal access surgery in these patients occurred without loss of quality and offered the well-known benefits of laparoscopic surgery.
Zacherl
J
J
University Clinic of Surgery, AKH 21.A, Waehringerguertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
Imhof
M
M
Függer
R
R
Fritsch
A
A
D000368:Aged; D003560:Cysts / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome