Laparoscopic treatment of solid and cystic tumors of the liver. Study of 33 cases

AIM OF THE STUDY: Laparoscopic liver surgery is still in its early stages. The aim of this study was to report our experience in the laparoscopic management of solid and cystic liver tumours. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 1991 to December 1999, 32 patients with various lesions of the liver underwent laparoscopic liver surgery. One group of patients presented with cysts (n = 15) (11 giant solitary cysts and 4 polycystic liver diseases) and one group of patients presented with solid tumours (n = 18): focal nodular hyperplasia (n = 8), haemangioma (n = 6), adenoma (n = 2), isolated metastasis from a colonic cancer (n = 1) and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 1). Fifteen cyst fenestrations and eighteen liver resections were performed via a laparoscopic approach including 1 right lobectomy, 5 left lateral segmentectomies, 2 subsegmentectomies IVb, 1 segmentectomy III and 9 non-anatomical resections. RESULTS: Conversion to laparotomy was performed in one case (3%) at the end of the operation (patient who had successfully undergone left lateral segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma) to check the resection margins and surgical transection had been performed in healthy parenchyma. Mean diameter of solid tumours was 6.5 cm and 15.7 cm for solitary cysts. The mean operating time for hepatic resections was 232 minutes. There was no postoperative mortality. Complications occurred in one case for each group and consisted in intestinal stricture through a port site requiring intestinal resection. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.6 days for solid tumours and 7.5 days for cystic lesions. In the group of cystic lesions, the recurrence rate was 50% with a 5.5-months follow-up. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic liver surgery can be safely performed, but requires a good experience in open hepatic surgery and laparoscopic surgery. The laparoscopic approach is indicated in patients with symptomatic or atypical benign solid tumour, giant solitary cyst and polycystic liver disease, located anteriorly on the liver. Indications for malignant lesions have not been clearly defined and require further information.