Short- and long-term results of extended left hepatectomy for colorectal metastases

An extended left hepatectomy is a complex hepatic resection often performed for large tumours in close relationship to major hilar structures. Operative outcomes of this resection for colorectal liver metastases (CLM) remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to assess short- and long-term outcome for patients with CLM after an extended left hepatectomy.

A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing an extended left hepatectomy for CLM in a large, single-centre cohort between January 1990 and January 2006 was performed.

Thirty-one patients (3.9%) from a consecutive series of 802 patients who had undergone hepatic resection were identified as having met the definition of an extended left hepatectomy and were included for further analysis. Maximum tumour size was more than 60 mm in 15 patients, with a median size of 67.5 mm for the total group (range: 20 to 160 mm). Twenty-six patients presented with initially unresectable metastases, related to large tumour size in 11 patients and to a close relation with major vascular structures in six patients. Preoperative chemotherapy was administered to 29 patients. Combined vascular resection was performed in five patients. The mortality rate at 90 days was zero and post-operative morbidity occurred in 17 patients. R0 and R1 resections were performed in 17 and 11 patients, respectively. Three- and 5-year overall survival was 38% and 27%, respectively. Disease-free survival was 9% and 4% at 3 and 5 years. Morbidity did not differ between patients with and without a caudate lobectomy (9 of 17 patients vs. 8 of 14 patients, respectively) (P= 0.815).

An extended left hepatectomy for CLM can provide significant long-term survival. However, morbidity is increased in this complex procedure. A caudate lobectomy does not impact surgical outcome.