Laparoscopic surgery and polycystic liver disease: Clinicopathological features and new trends in management

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) has a low frequency overall in the worldwide population. As the patient's symptoms are produced by the expansion of hepatic volume, the different therapeutic alternatives are focused on reducing it. Surgery is still considered the most effective treatment for symptomatic PLD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for PLD.

This study included 14 patients who were diagnosed with symptomatic PLD and underwent surgery by a laparoscopic approach between 2004 and 2012. It involved collecting data on the characteristics of those patients and their liver disease, surgical procedures, intra- and postoperative complications, and the long-term follow-up.

Twelve laparoscopic multiple-cyst fenestrations and two segmentary liver resections associated with remaining-cyst fenestration were performed. One procedure required conversion to laparotomy and the other was complicated by anhepatic severe bleeding. The rest of the procedures were uneventful. One patient developed persistent self-limited ascites in the immediate postoperative period. Symptoms disappeared after surgical intervention in all patients. During a median follow-up of 62 months (range 14-113 months), there were two clinical recurrences and one asymptomatic radiological recurrence. One patient required further surgery.

Laparoscopic cystic fenestration and laparoscopic liver resection are safe and long-term, effective procedures for the treatment of symptomatic PLD. Severity and morphological characteristics of the hepatic disease will determine the surgical indication and the optimal approach for each patient.