title: Laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration: a new technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic surgery is advantageous for minimal invasiveness and rapid postoperative recovery. Since the use of laparoscopic hepatectomy in liver resection in the 1990s, it has been performed in a few institutions worldwide. Lack of efficient and safe techniques for liver transaction is the major obstacle preventing from its further development. We developed a new technique for laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration in 1998. In this paper we analyze the clinical outcomes of this technique after 7 years of practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Altogether 59 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration from August 1998 to January 2005 at our institution. These patients included 33 males and 26 females, with a mean age of 47 years. For liver transection laparoscopic Peng's multifunctional operative dissector (LPMOD) was used. Lesions included malignant liver tumors in 19 patients, benign liver tumors in 17, intrahepatic calculus in 18, and other liver lesions in 5. Procedures included local resections in 30 patients, left lateral segmentectomy in 28, and right hemihepatectomy in 1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Laparoscopic operation was completed in 57 patients. Two patients (3.4%) had the operation converted to laparotomy. The mean operating time was 143 minutes and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 456 ml. The mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 7 days. Complications occurred in 2 patients (3.4%), and there was no perioperative death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration is efficient and safe for liver resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China. anwyf@163.com
authors.forename: Xiu-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yi-fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xue-yong
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Di-yu
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shu-you
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003475:Curettage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013396:Suction