title: Safety of liver resection and effect on quality of life in patients with benign hepatic disease: single center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although liver resection has long been established for selected patients with benign hepatic disease, the success of surgical treatment of these patients cannot be evaluated exclusively through postoperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the aim of the study was to prove the safety of liver resection in the treatment of benign liver tumors and to evaluate the effect of surgical treatment on the patients' quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 146 patients who underwent liver resection because of benign liver tumors were included in this study. Postoperative outcome was assessed and patients evaluated their quality of life before surgery and at the present time using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (QLQ C-30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of serious (> grade 2) complications was 4.1% with no postoperative death. The quality of life assessment revealed an overall improvement of general health status after resection (0.7 vs. 0.56, p < 0.001) and additionally a significant reduction of 6 out of 9 symptoms. Furthermore, compelling benefits in the patients' social and emotional coping could be detected after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver resection for benign liver disease is a safe procedure and leads to a significant improvement of quality of life in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, Germany. carsten.kamphues@charite.de
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamphues
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Timm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Denecke
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bova
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hippler-Benscheidt
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puhl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seehofer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult