Technical Aspects of Orthotopic Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a significant malignancy and is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Multiple therapeutic strategies exist for patients with HCC including locoregional therapy, liver resection, and liver transplantation. In many instances locoregional therapy is used to decrease tumor burden and "bridge" patients to liver transplant. Surgical technique during liver transplantation may need to be altered in light of these preoperative therapies used for treating HCC. In this review we discuss the technical aspects of liver transplantation and how they are impacted in patients with HCC.