title: The practice of laparoscopic liver surgery in Belgium: a national survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic liver surgery (LLS) gained popularity bringing several advantages including decreased morbidity and reduction of length of hospital stay compared to open.
  
  
  METHODS
  To understand practice and evolution of LLS in Belgium, a 20-questions survey was sent to all members of the Royal Belgian Society for Surgery, the Belgian Section of Hepato-Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery and the Belgian Group for Endoscopic Surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven surgical units representing 61 surgeons performing LLS in Belgium responded: 50% from regional hospitals, 28% from university and 22% from peripheral hospitals. Replies from high volume centers (>50 liver-surgery/year) were 19%. More than 25% of liver procedures were performed laparoscopically in 35% of centers. LLS is adopted since more than 15-years in 14.5% of centers with an increasing rate reported in 59%. Low relevance of LLS in the hospital organization (26.5%) and lack of time in surgical schedules (12%) or of specific training (9%) are the main barriers for further diffusion. More than 80% of the responders agreed to participate to a national prospective registry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LLS is mainly performed in experienced HPB units with an increasing interest in peripheral centers. A prospective national registry will be useful by providing real data in terms of indications, morbidity and overall evolution.
authors.affiliation: a Department of General, Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery , Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomassini
authors.affiliation: a Department of General, Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery , Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scuderi
authors.affiliation: a Department of General, Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery , Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Giammauro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berardi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Abdominal Surgery , UCL Mont-Godinne , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dili
authors.affiliation: c Department of Abdominal Surgery , AZ Groeninge , Kortrijk , Belgium.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Hondt
authors.affiliation: d Department of Abdominal Surgery , Jessa Ziekenhuis , Hasselt , Belgium.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergeant
authors.affiliation: e Department of HPB Surgery , UCL Saint-Luc , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hubert
authors.affiliation: f Department of General Surgery , AZ Klina , Brasschaat , Belgium.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huysentruyt
authors.affiliation: a Department of General, Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery , Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berrevoet
authors.affiliation: g Department of Digestive and Liver Transplantation Surgery , ULB Erasme Hospital , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucidi
authors.affiliation: a Department of General, Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery , Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Roberto Ivan
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Troisi
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Laparoscopic liver resection; liver resection in Belgium; national registry; survey