title: [Combined hepatic resection and intraoperative thermal ablation for multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the safety and efficacy of hepatic resection combined with intraoperative ablation to treat multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of patients diagnosed with multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma and treated with hepatic resection combined with intraoperative ablation from March 1998 to September 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment response, postoperative complications and survival data were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Combined treatment modalities were well tolerated except one patient dying of postoperative hepatic functional failure. The postoperative complication rate was 23.5% with a mortality rate of 6.7%. Postoperative complication included wound infection (1 case), bile leakage (1 case), subphrenic and pleural effusion (1 case), ablation-associated liver abscess (1 case), all of which were treated with non-surgical methods. The median survival time was 25.9 months. The 1, 3, 5 year survival rates were 70.6% (12/17), 23.5% (4/17), 17.6% (3/17), respectively. Three patients survived more than 5 years after surgery. Up to April 2008, 4 patients were still alive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatectomy combined with intraoperative thermal ablation provides a treatment modality for patients with multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma and may improve the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Bao-gang
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shun-li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xiao-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Li-jian
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Ming-de
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lü
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult