Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2025
Application of the En Bloc Concept Combined with Anatomic Resection in Laparoscopic Hepatectomy
Published on: March 10, 2023
Reappraisal of anatomical liver resection for hepatoblastoma in children
Masaki Honda1, Kaori Isono1, Kazuya Hirukawa1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
Background:
The principle of hepatoblastoma (HB) treatment is complete resection. The removal of tumor-bearing section(s) or hemiliver is widely accepted. However, neither the standardized anterior approach for right hepatectomy nor parenchymal sparing anatomical liver resection has been described for HB.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the clinical course of two pediatric HB patients who underwent extended right hepatectomy using the anterior approach with the liver hanging maneuver and one who underwent parenchymal sparing anatomical liver resection of S4 apical+S8 ventral/dorsal+S7. The critical aspects of surgical techniques are described in detail.
Results:
In all three patients, R0 resection was achieved without complications and are currently alive without recurrence after an average follow-up of 23 months. Intraoperative cardiac hemodynamics were stable, even in a trisomy 18 patient with cardiac disease.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that these innovative techniques established in adults are safe and feasible for HB in children. These techniques also allow optimal anatomical liver resection to accomplish curative surgery while maintaining the functional reserve of the remnant liver.
