Perioperative risk assessment for hepatocellular carcinoma by using the MELD score

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) in predicting post hepatectomy outcome for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Between 2001 and 2005, 94 cirrhotic patients with HCC underwent hepatectomy and were analyzed retrospectively. MELD score associated with postoperative mortality and morbidity, hospital stay, and 3-year survival.

Twenty-eight major and 66 minor resections were performed. Thirty-day mortality rate was 6.4%. MELD 9 (p = 0.01). Overall morbidity rate was 32%; 21% when MELD 9 (p = 0.01). Median hospital stay was 11 days (7 days, when MELD 9; p = 0.03). Three-year survival reached 48% (63% when MELD 9; p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, MELD > 9 (p = 0.01), clinical tumor symptoms (p = 0.04), and American Society of Anesthesiologists score (p = 0.04) were independent predictors of perioperative mortality; MELD > 9 (p = 0.01), tumor size >5 cm (p = 0.01), presence of tumor symptoms (p = 0.02), high tumor grade (p = 0.01), and absence of tumor capsule (p = 0.01) were independent predictors of decreased long-term survival.

MELD score seems to predict outcome of cirrhotic patients with HCC after hepatectomy.