[Role of exploratory laparoscopy in hepato-biliary malignancies]

In patients with hepatic or biliary malignancy which is presumed by pre-operative studies to be resectable, exploratory laparoscopy permits the avoidance of laparotomy in 20-50% of cases. This approach diminishes operative time, hospital stay, delay in starting chemotherapy, and cost. It is particularly appropriate for those maladies where it has the best yield: 1) cancer of the gallbladder; 2) hilar cholangiocarcinoma Stage T2-T3; and: 3) hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer or hepatocellular cancer with poor prognostic features.