Usefulness and limitation of laparoscopic assisted hepatic resections: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
We preliminarily examined the characteristics of patients who underwent laparoscopic assisted hepatic resection (LAPH) to clarify its advantages and limitations of this procedure.


METHODS
We examined the demographics, surgical records and outcome in 9 patients undergoing LAPH between 2001 and 2007 by comparing results in 15 patients (control group) who did not undergo laparoscopy before 2000.


RESULTS
By comparing the control group, patient demographics were not different. Four patients underwent left lateral sectionectomy and others underwent partial hepatectomy. One patient needed combined resection of abdominal wall and left lateral sector because of direct invasion from a liver tumor. There was no remarkable morbidity or mortality in all patients. Mean operation time in the LAPH group was significantly longer than that in the control group (356 +/- 68 vs. 276 +/- 59 minutes) (p = 0.015), particularly in patients undergoing partial resection. Blood loss was not different between groups. Days of use of pain reliever and hospital stay in the LAPH group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (p < 0.001). These tendencies were similar in each operative procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
LAPH can be safely performed even in patients with chronic liver injury and recovery of patients from operation was faster than that by conventional hepatectomy.
Nanashima
Atsushi
A
Division of Surgical Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan. a-nanasm@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Sumida
Yorihisa
Y
Oikawa
Masahiro
M
Nonaka
Takashi
T
Abo
Tahafumi
T
Takeshita
Hiroahi
H
Hidaka
Shigekazu
S
Fukuoka
Hidetoshi
H
Sawai
Terumitsu
T
Yasutake
Toru
T
Nagayasu
Takeshi
T
D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000700:Analgesics