title: Efficiency and safety of radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis: A single-center retrospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficiency and safety of radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2010 to December 2013, 179 patients with HCC and cirrhosis were recruited for this retrospective study. Of these, 100 patients who received radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy (RF+ group) were compared to 79 patients who had hepatectomy without ablation (RF- group). The primary endpoint was intraoperative blood loss. The secondary endpoints included liver function, postoperative complications, mortality, and duration of hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The characteristics of the two groups were closely matched. The Pringle maneuver was not used in the RF+ group. There was significantly less median intraoperative blood loss in the RF+ group (300 vs 400 mL, P = 0.01). On postoperative days (POD) 1 and 5, median alanine aminotransferase was significantly higher in the RF+ group than in the RF- group (POD 1: 348.5 vs 245.5, P = 0.01; POD 5: 112 vs 82.5, P = 0.00), but there was no significant difference between the two groups on POD 3 (260 vs 220, P = 0.24). The median AST was significantly higher in the RF+ group on POD 1 (446 vs 268, P = 0.00), but there was no significant difference between the two groups on POD 3 and 5 (POD 3: 129.5 vs 125, P = 0.65; POD 5: 52.5 vs 50, P = 0.10). Overall, the rate of postoperative complications was roughly the same in these two groups (28.0% vs 17.7%, P = 0.11) except that post hepatectomy liver failure was far more common in the RF+ group than in the RF- group (6% vs 0%, P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy can reduce intraoperative blood loss during liver resection effectively. However, this method should be used with caution in patients with concomitant cirrhosis because it may cause severe liver damage and liver failure.
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Wu
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Kuan-Sheng
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Fan Zhang, Jun Yan, Xiao-Bin Feng, Feng Xia, Xiao-Wu Li, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000209:etiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Blood loss; Cirrhosis; Complications; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy