ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy has been changing in general and particularly upper gastrointestinal surgery for the last three decades. Hepatic surgery is one of the most hallenging fields in surgery and requires a prolonged surgical education and knowledge. This series describes our initial experience in laparoscopic resection of liver lesions. ME THODS: This was a retrospective analysis of a single institution. Sixteen patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy between January 2008 and August 2009 were included. The data gathered included: lesion length, site of lesion, surgical time, conversion to open, operation rates, length of hospital stay, complications, mortality, and histology of lesions. RESULTS: Mean patient age: 63, which were comprised by 5 males and 11 females. Thirteen patients had liver cysts; 2 patients had metastatic liver cancer. One patient had End Stage Liver disease and cirrhosis. The average size of the lesions was 10 cm. The mean surgical time was 143.3 min. Conversion to laparotomy was required in two patients. There were no perioperative or thirty day mortality, and no postoperative liver failure. Mean postoperative stay was 3.5 days. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic liver resection appears safe and viable procedure. Experienced hepatobiliary surgeons with adequate laparoscopic skills should perform this procedure. The technique has a low morbidity and a short hospital stay, and can be used for the treatment of patients with different liver conditions.
