title: Single-port and multi-port laparoscopic left lateral liver sectionectomy for treating benign liver diseases: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of single-port laparoscopy for left-lateral liver sectionectomy (LLLS) has been reported in the literature, but the effectiveness and safety of LLLS has not been validated in randomized, controlled trials. This prospective randomized controlled trial compared the effectiveness and safety of single-port and multi-port laparoscopic LLLS for the surgical treatment of benign liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Altogether, 38 patients aged 17-65 years (16 men, 22 women) with benign liver diseases were hospitalized for elective laparoscopic LLLS between January 2010 and December 2012. Patients were randomly assigned to either single-port (n = 19) or multi-port (n = 19) laparoscopic LLLS. Main outcome measures were operative time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, complication rates, and postoperative hospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Single-port and multi-port laparoscopies were successfully completed in all but one patient (1/19, 5.3 %) who required conversion from a single-port to a multi-port procedure. The two groups had similar mean operative times and volumes of intraoperative blood loss. There were no clinically significant postoperative complications or deaths. The single-port group had a significantly shorter postoperative hospitalization than the multi-port group (2.5 ± 1.7 vs. 4.0 ± 2.1 days; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single-port laparoscopic LLLS is a technically feasible, effective, safe alternative to multi-port laparoscopy for the treatment of benign liver diseases in cautiously selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Fuxing Road 28, Beijing, 100853, China, hmg301hospital@sina.com.
authors.forename: Minggen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dabin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult