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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Laparoscopic Anatomical Right Hemihepatectomy via the In Situ Anterior Approach
Published on: August 8, 2025
Preoperative arterial embolization of large liver hemangiomas
Serdar Topaloğlu1, Şükrü Oğuz, Orhan Kalaycı
1Department of Surgery, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Farabi Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey. serdartopaloglu@yahoo.com.
Purpose:
We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of preoperative selective intra-arterial embolization (PSIAE) in the surgical treatment of large liver hemangiomas.
Methods:
Data of 22 patients who underwent resection of large liver hemangiomas were retrospectively analyzed. PSIAE was performed in cases having a high risk of severe blood loss during surgery (n=11), while it was not applied in cases with a low risk of blood loss (n=11).
Results:
A total of 19 enucleations and six anatomic resections were performed. Operative time, intraoperative bleeding amount, Pringle period, and blood transfusion were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05, for all). The perioperative serum aspartate transaminase level was not different between groups (P = 1.000). Perioperative total bilirubin levels were significantly increased in the PSIAE group (P = 0.041). Postoperative hospital stay was longer in the PSIAE group. Surgical complications were comparable between groups (P = 0.476).
Conclusion:
Patients who underwent PSIAE due to a high risk of severe blood loss during resection of large liver hemangiomas had comparable operative success as patients with a low risk of blood loss who were operated without PSIAE. Hence, PSIAE can be used for the control of intraoperative blood loss, especially in surgically difficult cases.
