title: Laparoscopic radiofrequency of hepatocellular carcinoma using ultrasound-guided selective intrahepatic vascular occlusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgical resection. However, only a small percentage of patients are operative candidates. The authors aimed to assess a novel operative combination of laparoscopic radiofrequency (LRF) with a selective intrahepatic vascular occlusion (SIHVO) to obtain an increased rate of total necrosis and a reduced rate of local HCC recurrences.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this study, 37 patients with HCC in liver cirrhosis were submitted to LRF with SIHVO. An LRF was indicated for patients not amenable to liver resection who evidenced at least one of the following criteria: severe impairment of the coagulation tests, large tumors (but <5 cm) or multiple lesions requiring repeated punctures, superficial lesions adjacent to visceral structures, deep-sited lesions with a very difficult or impossible percutaneous approach, and short-term recurrence of HCC after percutaneous loco-regional therapies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Laparoscopic ultrasound identified seven new malignant lesions (19%) undetected by preoperative imaging. There was no operative mortality. Of the 37 patients, 31 experienced no complications (84%). Computed tomography (CT) evaluation 1 month after treatment showed that a complete response with 100% necrosis had been achieved for all the patients (100%). During the follow-up period (mean, 11.8 +/- 8.2 months), new malignant nodules developed in 14 patients (42%), and 36% of these recurrences were located in the same treated segment of the HCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined LRF and SIHVO procedure proved to be a safe and effective technique at least in the short and mid term. In fact, it permitted the treatment of lesions not treatable using the percutaneous approach with a complete clearance, and it had a low morbidity rate.
authors.affiliation: Bilio-Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Ospedale San Paolo, Milan, Italy. rsantambrogio@mclink.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santambrogio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barabino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Opocher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011169:Portal Vein; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*