Combining partial liver resection and local ablation of liver tumours: a preliminary Dutch experience.
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.
Fioole
Bram
B
Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. bfioole@planet.nl
Jansen
Maarten C
MC
van Duijnhoven
Frederieke H
FH
van Hillegersberg
Richard
R
van Gulik
Thomas M
TM
Borel Rinkes
Inne Hm
IH