Application of irregular mesohepatectomy with alternating regional blood occlusion for central liver tumors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mesohepatectomy is rarely used to treat central liver tumors because of its technical complexity. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the application of irregular mesohepatectomy with alternating regional blood occlusion for central liver tumors.

METHODOLOGY

From 2003 to 2008, 128 patients with central liver tumors were treated by irregular mesohepatectomy (Group I, n=85) and anatomic mesohepatectomy (Group II, n=43) respectively. The clinical profiles and follow-up data, including the operation time, bleeding volume, blood transfusion volume, postoperative recovery of liver function and postoperative complications, were compared among the two groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis was made for survival rates comparison.

RESULTS

The average operative durations were 195.1 +/- 52.4 min and 264.3 +/- 57.3 min in Group I and Group II, respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups in incidence of postoperative biliary fistula (18.8% vs 9.3%, p<0.05), but not in bleeding volume, blood transfusion volume, post-operative LFT changes and 1, 3 and 5-year survival rates. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups on survival rate.

CONCLUSION

Irregular mesohepatectomy with alternating regional blood occlusion can achieve an efficacy comparable to anatomic mesohepatectomy.