RE-HEPATECTOMY MEANS MORE MORBIDITY? A MULTICENTRIC ANALYSIS.

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Colorectal cancer frequently metastasizes to the liver, necessitating surgical resection.
• While initial liver resection is potentially curative, recurrence is common.
• Repeated hepatectomy is a feasible option for selected patients, potentially improving survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the morbidity of first hepatectomy versus re-hepatectomy in patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM).
• To analyze outcomes of repeated liver resection for CRLM in a Brazilian cohort.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 176 patients with CRLM who underwent liver resection with curative intent between 2009 and 2020.
• Patients were divided into two groups: first hepatectomy (Group 1) and re-hepatectomy (Group 2).
• Postoperative complications, including minor/major complications and mortality, were compared between groups.

Main Results:

• Of 176 patients, 148 underwent first hepatectomy and 28 underwent re-hepatectomy.
• Postoperative complication rates were 37.2% in Group 1 and 46.5% in Group 2.
• No statistically significant differences were found in postoperative complications (p=0.834), minor complications (p=0.266), major complications (p=0.695), or mortality (p=0.407) between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Re-hepatectomy for CRLM demonstrates comparable morbidity and mortality rates to initial hepatectomy.
• These findings support re-hepatectomy as a safe and effective treatment option for selected patients with recurrent CRLM.