Experiences of laparoscopic liver resection including lesions in the posterosuperior segments of the liver

Background There is a growing interest in laparoscopic liver resection because of its minimal invasiveness, the increased experience with laparoscopic procedures, and the advances of the laparoscopic devices. The authors describe their experience with laparoscopic liver resection, including its use for lesions in the posterosuperior segments of the liver (segments 1, 7, and 8, and the superior part of segment 4). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 128 patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection between January 2004 and December 2007. The patients were classified into two groups according to the location of the lesion: the anterolateral (AL) group (n = 92) and the posterosuperior (PS) group (n = 36). Results The study enrolled 76 men and 52 women with a mean age of 57 years. The indications for resection were hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 57), hepatolithiasis (n = 39), liver metastasis from colorectal cancer (n = 21), and benign liver tumor (n = 11). There were no differences between the groups in terms of preoperative patient demographic characteristics or indications for liver resection. Major liver resection was performed more frequently for the PS group than for the AL group (p < 0.001). The mean operative time and the rate of intraoperative transfusion were significantly greater in the PS group than in the AL group (p = 0.009 and 0.015, respectively). However, the mean postoperative hospital stay and the complication rate were similar in the two groups (p = 0.345 and 0.733, respectively). Four patients underwent conversion to open hepatectomy (3.1%), with no difference in the rate of conversion between the two groups (p = 0.323). The complication rate was 18%, and all the patients were managed conservatively without the need for additional surgery. Conclusions Laparoscopic liver resection, including that for lesions in the posterosuperior part of the liver, is technically feasible and safe.