title: Liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: case-matched analysis of laparoscopic versus open resection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection compared with open liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 2005 and December 2009, 26 consecutive patients with HCC underwent a pure laparoscopic liver resection, and data from this group (laparoscopic liver resection group, L-group) were compared with a retrospective control group of 29 patients who underwent open liver resection for HCC (open liver resection group, O-group) during the same period. The two groups were matched in terms of demographic data, tumor size, degree of liver cirrhosis, American Society of Anesthesiology score, type of resection, and tumor location.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median operation time and the amount of intraoperative packed red blood cell transfusion in the L-group were 147.5 minutes and 0.35 units, respectively. The L-group revealed a shorter operation time (147.5 vs. 220.0 minutes, P = 0.031) than the O-group. No difference in perioperative morbidity or mortality rates was observed (3.8, 0 vs. 24.1%, 0%; P = 0.054, non-specific, respectively); the L-group was associated with a shorter hospital stay than the O-group (11.08 vs. 16.07 days, P = 0.034). After a mean follow-up of 23.9 months (range, 0.7 to 59.4 months), the 1-year disease-free survival rate was 84.6% in the L-group and 82.8% in the O-group (P = 0.673).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic liver resection for HCC is feasible and safe in selected patients and can produce good surgical results with a shorter postoperative hospital stay and similar outcomes in terms of perioperative morbidity, mortality, and disease-free survival than open resection.
authors: Division of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Ho Hyun
authors: HH
authors: Kim
authors: Eun Kyu
authors: EK
authors: Park
authors: Jin Shick
authors: JS
authors: Seoung
authors: Young Hoe
authors: YH
authors: Hur
authors: Yang Seok
authors: YS
authors: Koh
authors: Jung Chul
authors: JC
authors: Kim
authors: Chol Kyoon
authors: CK
authors: Cho
authors: Hyun Jong
authors: HJ
authors: Kim