[LIVER CYSTIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS LAPAROSCOPIC TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS]

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Techniques
• Parasitic Infections

Background:

• Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease that can affect the liver, requiring surgical intervention.
• Traditional open surgery for liver cysts has associated risks and complications.
• Laparoscopic surgery has emerged as a less invasive alternative for various abdominal procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of laparoscopic treatment for liver echinococcosis cysts.
• To compare laparoscopic cystectomy with open surgical approaches for liver echinococcosis.
• To assess long-term results, including recurrence and complication rates, of laparoscopic versus open surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 348 patients who underwent surgical treatment for liver echinococcosis between 2003 and 2013.
• Categorization of patients into laparoscopic (283) and open surgery (65) groups.
• Long-term follow-up (6 months to 7 years) conducted on 226 patients.

Main Results:

• Laparoscopic surgery demonstrated advantages including reduced blood loss, shorter procedure duration, less pain, and fewer hospital bed-days.
• Postoperative infections and overall complications were significantly lower after laparoscopic procedures compared to open surgery.
• The recurrence rate of echinococcosis was substantially lower following laparoscopic surgery (2.5%) than open surgery (8.5%).

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic surgery is the preferred treatment for uncomplicated liver echinococceal cysts.
• Laparoscopic procedures yield favorable long-term outcomes with fewer complications and recurrences.
• The laparoscopic approach provides equivalent radical treatment efficacy to open surgery with enhanced cosmetic results.