[Surgical therapy of cancer of the hepatic duct bifurcation]

We report about the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in 62 cases of Klatskin tumors operated during the last 5 years. In most patients the definite treatment consisted either of primary endoscopic drainage of the bile ducts or of a secondary endoscopic drainage after explorative laparotomy. Only one third of the patients could be operated in curative intention. Operative procedures included local tumor resections as well as a central bile duct resection combined with hemihepatectomy. The main problem in these operations is to avoid a biliodigestive anastomosis with tumor infiltrated bile ducts, because these patients would have been better treated endoscopically. After extended preoperative diagnostic procedures including CT-scan, ultrasound, ERCP and angiography in most cases the criteria for irresectability can be defined and unnecessary operative interventions can be avoided.