Woohyung Lee

Role of intercostal trocars on laparoscopic liver resection for tumors in segments 7 and 8

Performing laparoscopic liver resection for lesions located in segment 7 and 8 is technically difficult, as the operative field is far from the conventional trocar site, and the liver impedes free motion of the laparoscopic instrument. Inserting the port through the intercostal space (ICS) may facilitate liver resection for these lesions. From January 2012 to July 2013, five patients (four men and one woman) underwent laparoscopic S7 or 8 segmentectomy for liver metastasis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ports were inserted at the 7th and 9th ICS, respectively, in addition to conventional abdominal ports. The mean age was 58 ± 10 (45–74) years; operation time, 197 ± 68 (110–300) minutes; blood loss, 161 ± 138 (40–320) ml; and length of hospital stay, 7 ± 3 (4–12) days. Pathologic findings revealed three, one, and one case(s) of colon cancer metastasis, breast cancer metastasis, and HCC, respectively. The mean tumor size and tumor‐free margin were 2.2 ± 1.1u2009cm and 5.8 ± 1.9u2009mm, respectively. There were no postoperative complications. Laparoscopic liver resection using intercostal trocars could be a useful method for tumors located in segments 7 and 8 of the liver in selected patients.

Outcomes of laparoscopic right posterior sectionectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of laparoscopic surgery

BACKGROUNDnAlthough there are very few reports of laparoscopic right posterior sectionectomy (RPS), we believe this is a promising operative method for lesions confined to the right posterior section of the liver.nnnMETHODnBetween September 2003 and June 2012, laparoscopic liver resection was performed in 408 patients at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. We analyzed the clinical data of 24 patients who underwent laparoscopic RPS for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and compared outcomes with patients who underwent open RPS (n = 19).nnnRESULTSnThe mean operation time was 567 minutes, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 10.6 ± 4.8 days. The mean tumor-free margin was 3.0 ± 5.8 cm. There were no deaths or major complications. Two complications occurred, which were managed by percutaneous drainage. There were three conversions to laparotomy because of an insufficient tumor margin. These patients were treated when we had limited experience of laparoscopic resection. Extended RPS (n = 6), which involved RPS and resection of the right hepatic vein, was performed to achieve an adequate margin if the tumor was located very close to the right hepatic vein. The mean operation time was longer in laparoscopy group than that in open group (P < .001), but there was no difference in the mean resection margin (P = .450) and the rate of postoperative complications (P = .380) between 2 groups. There was no statistical difference in 5-year overall patient survival rate (79.1% vs 77.7%; P = .754) and the 5-year disease-free survival rate (42.2% vs 51.5%; P = .752) between the 2 groups.nnnCONCLUSIONnLaparoscopic RPS is feasible when performed by experienced surgeons, but further refinements of the surgical technique are needed to reduce operation time.

Role of Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Preoperative Evaluation of Small Hepatic Lesions in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

BackgroundThe initial abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) sometimes reveal equivocal hepatic lesions. In this study, we evaluated the outcomes of equivocal hepatic lesions found by abdominal CT and the diagnostic accuracy of subsequent liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsWe evaluated data of patients who underwent CRC resection between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Equivocal hepatic lesions of <1xa0cm in size on preoperative staging CT scans were included in this study. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI was subsequently performed in all patients. Hepatic lesions that grew during the follow-up period (≥3xa0years) were considered potential metastases.ResultsOverall, 121 equivocal hepatic lesions were detected on preoperative staging CT in 65 out of 494 patients (13.2xa0%) who underwent colorectal surgery. Based on subsequent MRI, 11 lesions were classified as definitive metastatic lesions and 100 were classified as definitive benign lesions, including simple cysts or hemangiomas. Findings in the other 10 lesions were still inconclusive even after examining CT and MRI. Of the 11 lesions that were classified as metastatic by MRI and were resected, 10 were pathologically confirmed as metastases and one lesion was a pathologically benign nodule. All 100 benign lesions were stable on follow-up imaging and were classified as benign. Of the 10 equivocal lesions, 6 increased in size during the follow up, suggesting they were early metastases, while 4 were stable. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting liver metastases by gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI of small equivocal hepatic lesions found by CT were 100xa0% (16/16) and 95.2xa0% (100/105), respectively, if MRI was equivocal or indicated definite metastasis. The negative predictive value was 100xa0% (100/100).ConclusionGadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI is a useful diagnostic tool for assessing equivocal hepatic lesions on preoperative CT of CRC patients that allows increased diagnostic accuracy and detection of additional colorectal liver metastasis lesions.

Comparison of laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma located in the posterosuperior segments or anterolateral segments: A case-matched analysis

BACKGROUNDnLaparoscopic liver resection is an attractive option for treating liver tumors. Laparoscopic liver resection is more difficult for hepatocellular carcinomas located in the posterosuperior segments than for hepatocellular carcinomas in the anterolateral segments. We compared perioperative and long-term outcomes between laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinomas located in the posterosuperior and anterolateral segments.nnnMETHODSnWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data for 230 patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinomas between September 2003 and July 2014. Of these, 116 patients were selected by case-matched analysis using age, sex, tumor number and size, Child-Pugh class, and extent of liver resection. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to tumor location: the anterolateral group (nxa0=xa058) and the posterosuperior group (nxa0=xa058).nnnRESULTSnOperation time (355xa0minutes vs 212xa0minutes, Pxa0<xa0.005), intraoperative blood loss (600xa0mL vs 410xa0mL, Pxa0<xa0.001), and hospital stay (8.5xa0days vs 7xa0days, Pxa0=xa0.040) were significantly greater in the posterosuperior group than in the anterolateral group. The open conversion (13.8% vs 10.3%, Pxa0=xa0.777), postoperative complication (17.2% vs 10.3%, Pxa0=xa0.420), 5-year overall survival (88.5% vs 85.7%, Pxa0=xa0.370), and 5-year, recurrence-free survival (47.6% vs 40.9%, Pxa0=xa0.678) rates were not significantly different between the posterosuperior and anterolateral groups.nnnCONCLUSIONnAlthough laparoscopic liver resection is more difficult for hepatocellular carcinomas located in the posterosuperior segment, there were no differences in the short- and long-term outcomes between the posterosuperior and anterolateral groups. The perceived impact of tumor location on patient outcomes could be overcome by experience and technical improvements.

Is Laparoscopy Contraindicated for Gallbladder Cancer? A 10-Year Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUNDnLaparoscopic treatment for gallbladder cancer (GBC) has long been contraindicated, but few studies have demonstrated the oncologic outcomes of this treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term survival after intended laparoscopic surgery for early-stage GBC based on our 10 years of experience.nnnSTUDY DESIGNnBetween May 2004 and April 2014, eighty-three patients suspected of having early-stage GBC with no evidence of liver invasion were enrolled in the prospective protocol for laparoscopic surgery. Data for 45 of these patients with pathologically proven GBC were analyzed to determine the safety and oncologic outcomes of a laparoscopic approach to GBC. Twenty-six patients whose postoperative follow-up exceeded 5 years were investigated to determine the 5-year actual survival outcomes.nnnRESULTSnExtended cholecystectomy, including laparoscopic lymphadenectomy, was performed in 32 patients and simple cholecystectomy in 13 patients. The T stages based on final pathologic results were Tis (n = 2), T1a (n = 10), T1b (n = 8), and T2 (n = 25). After a median follow-up of 60 months after surgery, recurrence was detected in 4 patients as distant metastases. There was no local recurrence around the gallbladder bed or lymphadenectomy. Disease-specific 5-year survival rate of the 45 patients was 94.2%. Disease-specific actual survival rate of 26 patients whose postoperative follow-up period exceeded 5 years was 92.3% at 5 years.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe favorable long-term oncologic results shown in this study confirm the oncologic safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, including laparoscopic lymphadenectomy in selected patients with GBC.

Prognostic relevance of preoperative diabetes mellitus and the degree of hyperglycemia on the outcomes of resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

The prognostic relevance of preoperative diabetes mellitus (DM) on the outcomes of resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is controversial. Most previous studies evaluated the prognostic role of DM based on a single blood test.

Laparoscopic resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Laparoscopic resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma is technically challenging because it involves complicated laparoscopic procedures that include laparoscopic hepatoduodenal lymphadenectomy, hemihepatectomy with caudate lobectomy, and hepaticojejunostomy. There are currently very few reports describing this type of surgery. Between August 2014 and December 2014, 5 patients underwent total laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Two patients with type I or II hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent radical hilar resection. Three patients with type IIIa or IIIb cholangiocarcinoma underwent extended hemihepatectomy together with caudate lobectomy. The median (range) age, operation time, blood loss, and length of hospital stay were 63 years (43-76 years), 610 minutes (410-665 minutes), 650 mL (450-1,300 mL), and 12 days (9-21 days), respectively. Four patients had a negative margin, but 1 patient was diagnosed with high-grade dysplasia on the proximal resection margin. The median tumor size was 3.0 cm. One patient experienced postoperative biliary leakage, which resolved spontaneously. Laparoscopic resection is a feasible surgical approach in selected patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Laparoscopic treatment of hepatic cysts located in the posterosuperior segments of the liver

Purpose Laparoscopy is considered the treatment of choice for hepatic cysts, especially those located in anterolateral segments (AL; segments II, III, IVb, V, and VI) because of the ease of laparoscopic access. Here, we evaluated the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic treatment of hepatic cysts in posterosuperior segments (PS; segments I, IVa, VII, and VIII). Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data for 34 patients who underwent laparoscopic treatment of hepatic cysts between September 2004 and December 2012. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether the main largest cyst was located in AL (n = 20) or PS (n = 14). Laparoscopic cyst unroofing was performed in 29 patients with symptomatic simple cysts. Laparoscopic resection was performed in 5 patients with suspected cystic neoplasms. Results There were no deaths or major complications. The mean operation time was 110 minutes and the mean hospital stay was 4.4 days. The mean cyst size was not significantly different (P = 0.511) but the frequency of multiple cysts was significantly greater in group PS (P = 0.003). The predominant type of resection was unroofing in both groups (P = 0.251). The mean blood loss (P = 0.747), mean hospital stay (P = 0.812), mean operation time (P = 0.669), morbidity rate (P = 0.488), and relapse rate (P = 0.448) were not significantly different. Relapse occurred in one patient who underwent reunroofing 17 months later. The median follow-up is 62 months. Conclusion Laparoscopy is a safe procedure for hepatic cysts located in posterosuperior segments.