Practical guidelines for performing laparoscopic liver resection based on the second international laparoscopic liver consensus conference.

Laparoscopic liver resection is rapidly increasing, and certain types of resection are considered standard procedures for liver resection, especially for small malignant tumors located on the liver surface or in the anterolateral segments of the liver. Several specialized centers have performed many types of highly complex hepatectomies, anatomical resections, and laparoscopic donor hepatectomies. Even though several international consensus conferences and expert meetings have been held, until now there have been no practical guidelines for beginners or experts conducting laparoscopic liver resection. We describe here practical guidelines for performing laparoscopic liver resection, including the indications, technical considerations, and training required.