ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the cause of liver failure after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and explore its prevention and treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 1000 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergone hepatectomy from July 2000 to June 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 922 male and 78 female, aging from 21 to 89 years old.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 1000 patients, there were 18 patients with liver failure after hepatectomy (1.8%). Among the 18 patients with liver failure, 13 patients were more than 65 years old, 14 patients were with more than 20% of indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes, 14 patients were with more than 1000 ml blood loss during operation, 6 patients were with F4/F3 liver fibrosis (Metavir Scores), and 9 patients were with less than 40.0% liver volume of residue liver.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with less than volume of residue liver, much more blood loss or transfusion, more than 20% of ICGR15, F4/F3 liver cirrhosis are prone to be with liver failure after hepatectomy. Artificial liver or liver transplantation may be the important alternative for liver failure after hepatectomy.</p>