Surgical outcomes of 230 resected hilar cholangiocarcinoma in a single centre.

BACKGROUND

Low resectability rate and poor survival outcomes after surgical resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma are common in most institutions. We retrospectively reviewed the surgical outcomes of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in a tertiary institution focusing on the surgical procedures, radicalities, survival rates and independent prognostic factors.

METHODS

Two hundred thirty patients who underwent surgical resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma between 1995 and 2010 were retrospectively analysed based on the clinical variables, Bismuth-Corlette types, radicality of operation and survival rates.

RESULTS

The median overall and disease-free survival time in the whole cohort were 39.1 and 19.2 months, respectively. Patients with type I or II tumour were more likely to undergo segmental bile duct resection than combined liver resection with lower R0 rates (68.2% and 76.1%, respectively). Liver resection (P < 0.001) and combined caudate lobectomy (P = 0.003) were associated with significantly higher R0 rates. Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001), preoperative level of bilirubin above 3.0 mg/dL (P = 0.003) and positive resection margin (P = 0.033) were independent prognostic factors on overall survival.

CONCLUSION

Liver resection and combined caudate lobectomy increased curative resection rates in hilar cholangiocarcinoma regardless of Bismuth-Corlette types. Preoperative biliary drainage should be performed in jaundiced patients to improve perioperative outcome and survival.