title: Combining partial liver resection and local ablation of liver tumours: a preliminary Dutch experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The combination of partial liver resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a novel concept in the treatment of unresectable liver malignancies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of this combined strategy in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients treated with a combination of partial liver resection and RFA were identified from a prospectively registered pooled multicentre database. All patients were operated between June 1999 and November 2003 in 8 medical centres in The Netherlands. Main outcome parameters were morbidity, mortality, local success rate, and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven operations were performed in 35 patients. The group consisted of 20 male and 15 female patients with a median age of 59 years (range 41-76). Seventy-six lesions were resected and RFA was performed to ablate 82 unresectable liver tumours. Twelve patients developed a total of 24 complications, resulting in an overall perioperative morbidity rate of 32%. In two patients major complications resulted in postoperative death (postoperative mortality rate 5.4%). Local success rate after RFA was 88% and the estimated 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 84%, 70% and 43%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This strategy should only be performed following strict patient selection and within the context of prospective clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. bfioole@planet.nl
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fioole
authors.forename: Maarten C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Frederieke H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: van Duijnhoven
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Hillegersberg
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: van Gulik
authors.forename: Inne Hm
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Borel Rinkes