title: Laparoscopic liver resection in the Netherlands: how far are we?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to provide a systematic review on the introduction of laparoscopic liver surgery in the Netherlands, to investigate the initial experience with laparoscopic liver resections and to report on the current status of laparoscopic liver surgery in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search of laparoscopic liver resections in the Netherlands was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE. Analysis of initial experience with laparoscopic liver surgery was performed by case-control comparison of patients undergoing laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy matched with patients undergoing the open procedure in the Netherlands between the years 2000 and 2008. Furthermore, a nationwide survey was conducted in 2011 on the current status of laparoscopic liver surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The systematic review revealed only 6 Dutch reports on actual laparoscopic liver surgery. Matched case-control comparison showed significant differences in the length of hospital stay, blood loss and operation time. Complications did not differ significantly between the two groups (26 vs. 21%). The 2011 survey showed that 21 centers in the Netherlands performed formal liver resections and that 49 (5% of total) laparoscopic liver resections were performed in 2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The systematic review revealed that very few laparoscopic liver resections were performed in the Netherlands in the previous millennium. The matched case-control comparison of laparoscopic and open left lateral resection showed a reduction in hospital length of stay with comparable morbidity. The laparoscopic technique has been slowly adopted in the Netherlands, but its popularity seems to increase in recent years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC), School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands. jan@stoot.com
authors.forename: Jan H M B
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Stoot
authors.forename: Edgar M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wong-Lun-Hing
authors.forename: Ione
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Limantoro
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Visschers
authors.forename: Olivier R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Hillegersberg
authors.forename: Koert M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: De Jong
authors.forename: Arjen M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rijken
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kazemier
authors.forename: Steven W M
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Olde Damink
authors.forename: Toine M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lodewick
authors.forename: Marc H A
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bemelmans
authors.forename: Ronald M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: van Dam
authors.forename: Cornelis H C
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Dejong
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D009426:Netherlands; D013997:Time Factors