Hepatic resection for hepatocarcinoma in the cirrhotic patient

Between January 1993 and June 1999, 54 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicating cirrhosis underwent hepatic resection. Forty-five (83%) minor hepatic resections were performed. Four (7%) peroperative deaths (within 30 days following surgery) were recorded. During follow-up it was noted that hepatocellular carcinoma recurred in 24 patients (44%) and local recurrence was the most frequent event. Mean disease free interval was 19 months after surgery. By multivariate analysis only vascular invasion proved to be statistically significant to HCC recurrence and survival. The recurrence rate of HCC in patients undergoing liver resection is high and long-term survival is long. An accurate analysis of risk factors for HCC recurrence after liver resection is of the utmost importance and further treatment alternative to and/or in association with surgery requires consideration.     

Small hepatocellular carcinoma in Child A cirrhotic patients: Hepatic resection versus transplantation

Hepatic resection (HR) is the treatment of choice for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a noncirrhotic liver, whereas liver transplantation (LT) offers better results in patients with impaired hepatic function (Child B and C). However, it is still debated whether HR or LT is the best strategy for patients with Child A cirrhosis. We conducted a retrospective study on 37 consecutive patients with Child A cirrhosis and small HCC, treated between 1991 and 1999. Seventeen of these patients, who underwent LT, were compared with 20 patients who underwent HR, and prognostic factors for survival and tumor recurrence were analyzed. The primary endpoints were the intention-to-treat, 3- and 5-year survival, and 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival. Three- and 5-year patient survival rate both were significantly (P = .04) higher in the LT group (87% and 71%, respectively) than in the HR group (67 and 36% respectively). Similarly, the 3- and 5- year recurrence-free survival rates were 87% and 80% for the LT group, and 52% and 40% for the HR group (P = .03). Absence of microscopic vascular invasion was the only other prognostic factor correlated with significantly better recurrence-free survival (P = .02). Therefore, we concluded that in patients with Child A cirrhosis and small HCC, liver transplantation resulted in better overall and disease-free survival than HR. (Liver Transpl 2003;9:513-520.)     

肝切除治疗肝内胆管结石

探讨肝切除术治疗肝胆管结石的效果。方法分析１９８９年７月－１９９９年７月采用肝切除术治疗１８４例肝内胆管结石患者的结石部位和分布情况、手术方式、手术后并发症、病理结果等情况。结果肝内胆管结石以左肝为主（１６５例）,肝切除也以左肝叶段切除为多（１５３例）;３２例出现手术后并发症（１７．３９％）无手术死亡。随访３月－１０月年,效果优良者占９６．２０％,包括４例早期胆管癌。结论肝切除术手是治疗内胆管结珠     

Hepatic resection for incidentaloma

The study goal was to review a single-center experience in hepatic resection for patients who presented with incidental liver tumors. With recent advances in diagnostic imaging techniques, incidental finding of liver tumors, or "incidentalomas," is increasing in asymptomatic and healthy individuals. However, little information is available in the literature regarding the underlying pathology and operative outcomes after hepatic resection. Between January 1989 and December 2002, 1011 patients underwent hepatic resection for liver tumors; of these patients, 107 (11%) were asymptomatic individuals who presented with incidentalomas. Incidentalomas were first detected on percutaneous ultrasonography (n = 83), computed tomography (n = 23), or magnetic resonance imaging (n = 1). Fifteen (14%) patients had preoperative aspiration for cytology or biopsy for histology, and the results correlated with the final pathology in 12 patients. Fifty-six (52%) patients underwent major hepatic resection with resection of three or more Coiunaud’s segments. Median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days (range, 3–66 days). The operative mortality rate was 1%, and the operative morbidity rate was 21%. Histologic examination of the resected specimen revealed malignant liver tumors in 62 (58%) patients, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n = 48), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 8), lymphoma (n = 2), cystadenocarcinoma (n = 2), carcinoid tumor (n = 1), and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (n = 1). Benign pathologies were found in 45 (42%) patients, including focal nodular hyperplasia (n = 17), hemangioma (n = 12), angiomyolipoma (n = 5), cirrhotic regenerative nodule (n = 4), hepatic adenoma (n = 2), and others (n = 5). On multivariate analysis, male sex, age of greater than 50 years, and tumor size of greater than 4 cm were the independent predictive factors for malignant diseases. On retrospective analysis, 48 patients with HCC who presented with incidentalomas had signi.cantly better survival outcomes after hepatic resection than did 646 patients with HCC who presented otherwise during the same study period. Hepatic resection for patients with incidentalomas is associated with a low operative mortality and acceptable morbidity. The diagnosis of malignant disease, especially HCC, should be considered in male patients older than 50 years who present with large hepatic lesions. Presented at the Forty-Fifth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, New Orleans, LA, May 15–19, 2004 (poster of distinction). Supported by the Sun C.Y. Research Foundation for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery of the University of Hong Kong.     

肝切除在肝内胆管结石治疗中的价值

目的：探讨肝叶切除在肝内胆管结石治疗中的价值和手术方法。方法：对3年间收治的442例肝内外胆管结石（410例合并肝外胆管结石）患者的手术方法及效果进行回顾性分析。结果：442例患者中,206例行肝叶切除术（A组）,236例行单纯胆管切开取石（B组）。术后每组各死亡1例。A组与手术相关的并发症发生率为8.8%（18/205）,B组为11.1%（26/235）,差异无统计学意义（χ2=0.634,P=0.263）。A组和B组的结石残留率分别为16.1%（33/205）和46.8%（96/235）,差异有统计学意义（χ2=32.4,P<0.001）。A组结石残留率的高低与结石的分布情况有关（χ2=14.0,P=0.001）,而与是否行规则肝叶切除无关（χ2=0.892,P=0.451）。A组发现肝内胆管细胞癌7例,均顺利切除;B组在随访2年后发现肝脏肿瘤4例,行手术切除2例。随访2年后A组和B组再发胆道结石、梗阻或胆管感染的总数分别为16例（8.1%）和62例（26.8%）,差异有统计学意义（χ2=25.2,P<0.001）;而A组16例中,行规则肝叶切除患者1例（1.8%,1/57）,肝叶部分切除的患者15例（10.6%,15/141）,差异有统计学意义（P=0.043）。结论：肝叶切除可降低肝内胆管结石患者术后结石残留率,而规则的肝叶切除能及时切除可能的恶性病变,并有效地降低远期结石再发、梗阻或胆管感染的发生率。     

Liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients is increasing. Despite advances in imaging and laboratory screening which allow earlier diagnosis, the surgeon is all too often confronted with an HCC of advanced stage or arising in the setting of severe cirrhosis. Hepatic resection is still considered the treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis. From 1998 to 2005, 6 patients (5 males, 1 female, age 52-70 years, mean age 64.1 years) with HCC associated severe, but well compensated liver cirrhosis (Child A-- 4 patients, Child B--2 patients) underwent 9 hepatic resection in our department. Mean tumor size was 56 mm (range 23-86 mm). Two of these lesions were in the left liver and four in the right lobe. Doppler ultrasonography was performed in all cases and CT in 3 cases to confirm the extension of the lesions. Laparoscopy was performed in 3 patients under CO2 pneumoperitoneum. The Pringle maneuver was not used. The transection of the liver parenchyma was obtained by the use of Ligasure and harmonic scalpel. Nine hepatic resections were performed: 7 segmentectomy and 2 non-anatomical resections. The resection margin was 1 cm. The mean operative time was 90 minutes (range 60-120). Mean blood loss was 250 ml and 2 patients required blood transfusion. One patient died on the tenth postoperative day from a severe respiratory distress syndrome and hepatic failure. Major morbidities occurred in three patients who developed moderate postoperative ascites, which resolved successfully with conservative treatment in two patients. Limited liver resection in cirrhotic patients with HCC is feasible with a low complication rate when careful selection criteria are followed (tumor size smaller than 8 cm, Child-Pugh A class and the good general conditions of the patients). Other medical and interventional treatments (chemoembolization, chemotherapy) can only slow the progress of HCC.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma: incidental finding in cirrhotic explanted livers

INTRODUCTION: Cirrhosis predisposes to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), demanding that these patients undergo follow-up with imaging methods for the early detection of neoplastic nodules. Morphologic study of the explanted livers allows identification of lesions not detected pre-operatively. OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency and to characterize the HCC found incidentally at pathological evaluation of explanted cirrhotic livers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients had HCC diagnosed in explanted cirrhotic livers. The livers were sectioned at intervals of 0.5 cm. Each detached nodule was selected for microscopic study according to size, color and/or consistency. Retrospective analysis of the clinical records was performed comparing available data from various imaging methods. RESULTS: In 11 patients, 16 HCC had previously been identified in the explants by one or more imaging methods. In the other 19 explanted livers (63.3%), HCC was incidentally found. All HCC identified in 9 patients and some of them in 10 patients were incidentally found, varying from microscopic focuses to 2 cm diameter lesions. They varied from only one (5 cases) to multiple nodules (7 cases). DISCUSSION: Imaging methods may underestimate the number of HCC in cirrhotic livers. Histological study is an essential tool that can early detect tumor nodules not previously detected by imaging methods. In our study, although small, multicentric HCC were identified, illustrating the multifocal nature of the hepatic carcinogenesis. Future studies must correlate these findings with patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: Characterization of explanted cirrhotic livers for HCC is important for previously known and incidentally found lesions.     

Hepatic resection

In the four years between the beginning of 1979 and the end of 1982, 23 hepatic resections have been carried out for tumours, trauma, biliary access, cystic disease of the liver and spontaneous rupture. There have been four deaths amongst these 23 patients. The 23 resections were performed on 68 patients referred for possible surgery on their hepatic lesions. Right-sided hepatic resections and resections carried out under emergency circumstances were found to carry a significantly higher risk than all other resections. Of the various organ imaging methods available for assessment of hepatic tumours, CT scanning seems to be the most powerful. Liver surgery is probably best done in a limited number of units prepared to implement appropriate protocols of investigation and surgical management.     

Improving operative safety for cirrhotic liver resection

BACKGROUND: Liver resection in a patient with cirrhosis carries increased risk. The purposes of this study were to review the results of cirrhotic liver resection in the past decade and to propose safe strategies for cirrhotic liver resection. METHODS: Based on the date of operation, 359 cirrhotic liver resections in 329 patients were divided into two intervals: period 1, from September 1989 to December 1994, and period 2, from January 1995 to December 1999. The patient backgrounds, operative procedures and early postoperative results were compared between the two periods. The factors that influenced surgical morbidity were analysed. RESULTS: In period 2, patient age was higher and the amounts of blood loss and blood transfused were lower. Although postoperative morbidity rates were similar, blood transfusion requirement, postoperative hospital stay and mortality rate were significantly reduced in period 2. No death occurred in 154 consecutive cirrhotic liver resections in the last 38 months of the study. Prothrombin activity and operative time were independent factors that influenced postoperative morbidity. CONCLUSION: With improving perioperative assessment and operative techniques, most complications after cirrhotic liver resection can be treated with a low mortality rate. However, more care should be taken if prothrombin activity is low or there is a long operating time.     

Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Between July 1973 and September 1988, 119 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma underwent hepatic resection at Keio University Hospital, Tokyo. Hepatic resection was performed not only for patients with liver cirrhosis and obstructive jaundice but also for patients with advanced disease. Eighty (67.2%) of the 119 patients had liver cirrhosis and four patients had obstructive jaundice. Two or more segments of the liver were resected in 56 (47.0%) patients, 29 of whom had liver cirrhosis. Eleven patients died within 30 days after surgery, an operative mortality rate of 9.2%. Seven additional patients could not be discharged from the hospital, resulting in a hospital death rate of 5.9%. Seventeen of these 18 patients had cirrhosis. Selection of patients with sufficient reserve function of the remaining liver portion, caused a great reduction of the incidence of postoperative death. The 5-year actuarial survival rate for the 101 patients who were discharged from the hospital was 39%, and 13 patients lived longer than 5 years, the longest survival period being 13 years 10 months. Hepatocellular carcinoma is amenable to hepatic resection if patients with sufficient reserve function of the liver are selected.     

Hepatic resection for metastatic disease

Hepatic resection for metastatic disease is reviewed in 30 patients (mean age 58.9 years). The primary site was the colorectum in 25; the other primary tumours were leiomyosarcoma, plasmacytoma, and adenocarcinoma (all of gastric origin), ocular melanoma and an unknown primary. Operative procedures included 7 wedge resections, 5 segmentectomies and 21 lobectomies (11 right, 4 extended right and 6 left). Major complications in seven patients included intraoperative hemorrhage in three, two of whom died, bile-duct injury in two, small-bowel infarction in one and cerebrovascular accident in one. Operative death rate was 6.7% (2 of 30). Thirteen patients were alive and free of disease a mean of 24 months after hepatic resection while 5 more were alive with disease at a mean of 36.9 months. Life-table analysis projected a 5-year survival of 50.3% for those with colorectal primaries, with no apparent difference in survival between patients with single (55.0%) and multiple (54.0%) metastases. Improved survival was projected for patients with metachronous (66.6%) versus synchronous (45.0%) tumours, primary Dukes' class A or B (66.1%) versus Dukes' class C (46.0%) tumours and those having wedge resection or segmentectomy (66.6%) versus lobectomy or extended lobectomy (48.0%). Hepatic resection for metastatic disease can be done with acceptable morbidity and mortality and the expectation of substantially prolonged survival particularly in patients with metachronous lesions or Dukes's A or B colorectal primary lesions.     

Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

One hundred and eighteen patients underwent hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma from 1979 to 1987. Ninety-eight of these patients had co-existing cirrhosis of the liver; 18 patients underwent lobectomy, 28 patients had segmentectomy, and 52 patients had subsegmentectomy. In the 21 non-cirrhotic patients, 11 patients underwent lobectomy, 5 patients had segmentectomy, and 5 patients had subsegmentectomy. The operative mortality rate of patients with cirrhosis was 11% and of patients without cirrhosis was 5%. There was no significant difference in hepatic function tests between survivors and nonsurvivors. Lobectomy of <55% of the parenchymal hepatic resection rate was well tolerated in the patients with cirrhosis. One-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and co-existing cirrhosis were 57.9%, 36.8% and 20.0% following lobectomy, 82.8%, 82.8% and 57.6% following segmentectomy, and 72.0%, 46.2% and 24.0% following subsegmentectomy. The tumor recurrence rate appeared to be lower after segmentectomy than subsegmentectomy. Multiple gross lesions, tumors >5 cm, and presence of gross vascular invasion were poor prognostic signs in terms of survival rates as well as recurrence rates. Of the 51 patients with tumor recurrence limited to the residual liver, 13 patients underwent repeat resection, and 23 patients were treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. The survival rates of the patients undergoing repeat resection were significantly better than those of other groups.

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Resumen Se practicaron 118 resecciones hepáticas por carcinoma hepatocellular entre 1979 y 1987. En 98 casos se encontró cirrosis hepática coexistente: 18 pacientes fueron sometidos a lobectomía, 28 a segmentectomía y 52 a subsegmentectomía. En cuanto a los 21 pacientes no cirróticos, 11 fueron sometidos a lobectomía, 5 a segmentectomía y 5 a subsegmentectomía. La tasa de mortalidad operatoria de los pacientes cirróticos fue 11% y la de los no cirróticos 5%. No se observó differencia significativa en las pruebas de función hepática entre los sobrevivientes y los no sobrevivientes, pero la lobectomía de menos del 55% del parenquima hepático resultó ser bien tolerada por los pacientes con cirrosis. Las tasas de sobrevida a uno, tres y cinco años de los cirróticos fueron de 57.9%, 36.8% y 20.0% después de lobectomía, 82.8%, 82.8% y 57.6% después de segmentectomía y 72.0%, 46.2% y 24.0% después de subsegmentectomía. La tasa de recurrencia tumoral resultó ser menor después de segmentectomía que de subsegmentectomía. La presencia de lesiones múltiples grandes, de tumores mayores de 5 cm y la invasión vascular macroscópica demostraron ser signos de mal pronóstico en términos de las tasas de sobrevida así como de las tasas de recurrencia. De las 51 recurrencias tumorales limitadas al hígado residual, 13 fueron resecadas y 23 fueron tratadas mediante quimioembolización transarterial (catéter). Las tasas de sobrevida de los pacientes sometidos a re-resección fueron significativamente mejores que las de los otros grupos.

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Résumé Cent dix huit résections hépatiques pour carcinome hépatocellulaire ont été réalisées entre 1979 et 1987. Quatre vingt dix huit de ces patients étaient cirrhotiques et 18 d'entre eux ont eu une lobectomie, 28 une segmentectomie et 52 une sous-segmentectomie. Chez les 21 patients non cirrhotiques, il y a eu 11 lobectomies, 5 segmentectomies et 5 sous-segmentectomies. La mortalité des patients cirrhotiques et non cirrhotiques était respectivement de 11% et de 5%. Il n'y avait pas de différence significative entre les tests hépatiques des patients survivants et de ceux qui mourraient; cependant, une lobectomie limitée à moins de 55% du parenchyme hépatique était mieux supportée par le patient cirrhotique. La survie à un, trois, cinq ans des patients cirrhotiques était respectivement de 57.9, 36.8 et 20.0% après lobectomie, de 82.8, 82.8 et 57.6% après segmentectomie et de 72.0, 46.2 et 24.0% après sous-segmentectomie. La récidive tumorale était moins fréquente après segmentectomie qu'après sous-segmentectomie. Des lésions multiples, des lésions de plus de 5 cm de diamètre et des signes d'envahissement vasculaire étaient des signes de mauvais pronostic, associés à une récidive. Sur les 51 récidives tumorales au sein du parenchyme restant, 13 ont pu être l'objet de résection alors que 23 ont été traitées par chimio-embolisation intra-artérielle. La survive des patients ayant eu des résections itératives était meilleure que celle des autres patients et ce de façon significative.

     

Hepatic resection for alveolar echinococcosis

The authors report their experience with 20 patients who underwent liver resection for alveolar echinococcosis of the liver from June 1982 to March 1991. Resection was radical in 9 patients and non radical in 11 patients. The 9 patients treated by radical resection are alive. 8 patients are symptom-free and disease-free when one patient with a parasitic recurrence underwent another radical resection. Among the 11 patients treated by non radical resection, 4 of them died during the follow-up period, the cause of the death being related to the disease in 3 cases and non related in one case. When feasible, radical liver resection is the best form of therapy. When massive parasitic invasion precludes radical hepatectomy, non radical resection associated if necessary with percutaneous procedures should be considered before embarking on orthotopic liver transplantation.     

Hepatic resection for colorectal secondaries

A postal survey of consultant surgeons in England and Wales was carried out to assess current attitudes towards screening for and treatment of hepatic metastases from primary colorectal carcinoma. The results showed that pre-, intra- and postoperative screening were inadequate. There was no consensus as to which patients would benefit from major hepatic resection for colorectal liver secondaries. Fewer than one-third of potentially operable patients underwent liver surgery.     

Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Several treatment modalities have been proposed, but hepatic resection is still considered the first-line therapeutic option for most of the patient carries of HCC. The proper selection of patients candidate to hepatic resection for HCC and the eradication whenever is possible of the intrahepatic metastases are the most crucial steps for improving the surgical outcome in HCC. This article reviews the current state of the art of the surgical treatment of HCC.