Clinical application of a three-dimensional reconstruction technique for complex liver cancer resection

To explore the utility of three-dimensional (3D) visualization technology in liver resection for patients with complex liver cancer.

In this retrospective cohort study, we collected and analyzed clinic pathological data from 105 patients who underwent complicated liver cancer resection at the authors' unit between January 2014 and June 2019. Observation indicators included general demographic information, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion volume, postoperative liver function, complication rate, hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality.

Compared with the complex liver cancer control group, operative time (257.1  ±  63.4 min versus [vs] 326.6  ±  78.3 min; P < 0.001), intraoperative blood loss (256.4  ±  159.1 mL vs 436.1  ±  177.3 mL; P < 0.001), blood transfusion volume (213.3  ±  185.2 mL vs 401.6  ±  211.2 mL; P < 0.001), and length of hospital stay (9.7  ±  3.1 days vs 11.9  ±  3.3 days; P = 0.001) were significantly reduced in the complex liver cancer reconstruction group. Although there was no statistical difference in total postoperative complication rate between the two groups, the incidence of serious postoperative complications in the reconstruction group was significantly lower than that in the control group (3/54 [5.6%] vs 10/51 [19.6%], respectively; P = 0.038). Regarding laboratory investigations, the time to recovery of liver function in the complex liver cancer reconstruction group was shorter than that in the complex liver cancer control group.

The use of 3D visualization technology was highly influential in formulating meticulous, individualized surgical strategies for complex liver cancer liver resection with safety and reduced perioperative risk.