title: Outcome after a liver resection of benign lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Benign liver tumours represent a challenge in clinical management. There is considerable controversy with respect to the indications for surgery as the evidence for surgical treatment is variable. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the indication and outcome after resection of benign, solid liver lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 79 patients, who underwent liver resection between 2001 and 2012, were analysed for demographic and outcome parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight patients with focal nodular hyperplasia (48%), 23 patients with haemangioma (29%) and 18 patients with hepatocellular adenoma (23%) underwent a hepatic resection. A major hepatic resection was performed in 23 patients (29%) and a minor resection in 56 patients (71%). The post-operative mortality rate was zero and the 30-day morbidity rate 13.9%. After a median follow-up of 64 months, 75 patients (95%) were alive, and no patient had developed recurrent disease. Fifty-four patients (68%) were pre-operatively symptomatic, of which, 87% had complete or partial relief of symptoms after a liver resection. The incidence of symptoms increased with the lesions' size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The management of benign liver lesions necessitates an individualized therapy within a multidisciplinary, evidence-based, treatment algorithm. Resection of benign liver lesions can be performed safely in well-selected patients without mortality and low post-operative morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unsinn
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hinz
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Department of Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waldburger
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Longerich
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Liver Cancer Center Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Radeleff
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schirmacher
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Büchler
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schemmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome