title: A case of laparoscopic hepatectomy for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Conventional hepatectomy is an effective way to treat hepatocellular carcinoma. However, it is invasive and stressful. The use of laparoscopy in hepatectomy, while technically demanding, reduces surgical invasiveness and stressfulness but still achieves complete resection with adequate margins. Compared with conventional hepatectomy, laparoscopic hepatectomy provides a better chance and situation for further surgery in the case of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Even aged patients can successfully endure repeated hepatectomy using laparoscopy, as shown in the present report. This report presents a case of repeated laparoscopic hepatectomy treating hepatocellular carcinoma and its recurrence in an aged patient having cirrhosis, a disease causing extra difficulty for performing laparoscopic hepatectomy. The report also describes techniques of the operation and displays characteristic results of laparoscopic hepatectomy such as smaller wounds, less blood loss, less pain, less scars and adhesion, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and faster recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, 102 Pok Fu Lam Road, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China. tantocheung@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Tan To
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Kelvin Kwok-chai
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Ronnie Tung-ping
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: See Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Chung Mau
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Sheung Tat
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*