[Laparoscopy in liver surgery]

More than 9000 laparoscopic liver resections (LLR) are performed worldwide for benign lesions, malignancy (mainly for hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer liver metastasis), and living donor hepatectomy. Although there is no absolute size criterion, smaller, peripheral lesions (<5 cm) of the anteriolateral segments, that lie far from major vessels and anticipated transection planes are most amenable to LLR, but nowadays lesions of the less ideal posterosuperior segments are feasible for LLR too. Centers with extensive experience in hepatobiliary surgery and laparoscopy have performed laparoscopic major hepatic resections with satisfactory outcomes. Patient benefits from LLR include less intraoperative blood loss, less postoperative pain and painkiller requirement, early mobilization and shorter length of hospital stay, with comparable postoperative morbidity and mortality to open liver resection. Comparison studies between open resection and LLR have revealed no differences in width of resection margins or overall survival after resection for hepatocellular cancer or colorectal cancer liver metastases. Other advantages of LLR for HCC are avoidance of collateral vessel ligation, decreased postoperative hepatic insufficiency and fewer postoperative adhesions, all of them facilitates a possible subsequent liver transplantation.