Laparoscopic left lateral liver resection should be a standard operation.

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Laparoscopic liver resection was first performed in 1992.
• Laparoscopic left lateral liver resection gained interest due to segment accessibility.
• This study analyzes observational data comparing laparoscopic and open left lateral hepatic resections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather and analyze available data from observational studies.
• To compare laparoscopic versus open left lateral hepatic resections.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic liver resection.

Main Methods:

• Searched Medline, Ovid, Embase, Pubmed, and Cochrane databases up to January 30, 2010.
• Included seven studies with 245 patients (134 laparoscopic, 111 open).
• Analyzed data using Review Manager software version 5.0.

Main Results:

• Laparoscopic group showed lower overall complication rates (0.36) and shorter operative times (48.07 min) compared to the open group.
• Hospital stay was 4.52 days shorter for the laparoscopic group.
• Results were significant (p=0.001 for complications/operative time, p=0.01 for hospital stay) with varying heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic left lateral resection is a safe and feasible option.
• It is associated with a reduced overall complication rate.
• Routine performance in liver centers is recommended.