title: Improving operative safety for cirrhotic liver resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liver resection in a patient with cirrhosis carries increased risk. The purposes of this study were to review the results of cirrhotic liver resection in the past decade and to propose safe strategies for cirrhotic liver resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the date of operation, 359 cirrhotic liver resections in 329 patients were divided into two intervals: period 1, from September 1989 to December 1994, and period 2, from January 1995 to December 1999. The patient backgrounds, operative procedures and early postoperative results were compared between the two periods. The factors that influenced surgical morbidity were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In period 2, patient age was higher and the amounts of blood loss and blood transfused were lower. Although postoperative morbidity rates were similar, blood transfusion requirement, postoperative hospital stay and mortality rate were significantly reduced in period 2. No death occurred in 154 consecutive cirrhotic liver resections in the last 38 months of the study. Prothrombin activity and operative time were independent factors that influenced postoperative morbidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With improving perioperative assessment and operative techniques, most complications after cirrhotic liver resection can be treated with a low mortality rate. However, more care should be taken if prothrombin activity is low or there is a long operating time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. he@vghtc.gov.tw
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: P'Eng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000592:standards; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome