Efficacy of laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing hepatectomy using augmented reality navigation combined with fluorescence imaging for colorectal liver metastases: a retrospective cohort study using inverse probability treatment weighting analysis.

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing hepatectomy (PSH) is an effective treatment for colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs), but ensuring the safety and radicality of the procedure, particularly for deep-seated tumors, remains challenging. Surgical navigation technologies such as augmented reality navigation (ARN) and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) are increasingly utilized to guide surgery, yet their efficacy for CRLMs is unclear. This study aims to evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of ARN combined with ICG-FI-guided (ARN-FI) laparoscopic PSH for CRLMs.

METHODS

Between January 2020 and December 2022, 89 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic PSH for CRLMs were included in the study. Patients were divided into an ARN-FI group ( n = 38) and a non-ARN-FI group ( n = 51) based on the use of ARN-FI. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance baseline characteristics and minimize potential selection bias. Short-term and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and hepatic RFS.

RESULTS

After IPTW, there were 87 patients in the ARN-FI group and 89 patients in the non-ARN-FI group. Shorter parenchymal transection time, postoperative hospital stays, and wider margins were observed in the ARN-FI group. There was no significant difference in RFS or hepatic RFS between the groups. Mutant KRAS status was an independent risk factor for both RFS and hepatic RFS, while tumor diameter ≥ 5 cm and deep-seated location were risk factors for hepatic RFS. In the subgroup analysis of deep-seated tumors, the ARN-FI group also showed less intraoperative blood loss, a lower rate of strategy change, shorter postoperative recovery times, a higher R0 resection rate, and improved RFS and hepatic RFS.

CONCLUSIONS

In laparoscopic PSH for CRLMs, ARN-FI may improve surgical efficiency and accuracy. Especially for deep-seated tumors, it has the potential to reduce blood loss and attain higher R0 resection rates.