title: Radiofrequency-assisted liver resection: higher incidence of infectious complications?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical experience with radiofrequency (RF)-assisted liver resection in non-cirrhotic and non-cholestatic patients with metastatic liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of consecutive patients who underwent RF-assisted liver resection for metastatic liver disease was prospectively followed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between July 2005 and April 2008, 95 liver RF-assisted liver resections were performed, 71 of them for metastatic liver disease. The mean hospital stay was 14 (range 5-40) days. The mean operation time was 141 (range 64-233) minutes. The mean duration of RF coagulation was 10 (range 9-12) minutes. A total of 37 complications in 24 (33%) patients were recorded, including 12 (16.9%) infected collections in resection line that had to be drained percutaneously. The 30-day postoperative mortality was zero.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that RF-assisted resection may have a benefit in decreasing peroperative blood loss and the number of blood transfusions. Nevertheless, an increased incidence of infectious complications and pleural effusions that required evacuation was noted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Charles University and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. subrt@email.cz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Subrt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferko
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cecka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology