Laparoscopic liver lobectomy in a cat

A 7-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented for evaluation of a large intra-abdominal mass. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed a pedunculated hepatic mass measuring 15 × 9.5 × 6.5 cm arising from the papillary process of the caudate lobe, without evidence of metastasis. A three-port laparoscopic liver lobectomy was performed. The mass, attached by a torsed pedicle, was excised using a bipolar advanced energy vessel sealing device (ENSEAL; Ethicon). Histopathology confirmed a primary hepatic fibrosarcoma with complete resection. The cat recovered uneventfully, was discharged the following day and received five cycles of adjuvant doxorubicin (Adriamycin; Pfizer), maintaining an excellent quality of life and stable disease for at least 3 years.

This is the first report of laparoscopic liver lobectomy in a cat with a large torsed hepatic mass. The case demonstrates that minimally invasive liver lobectomy can be successfully performed in feline patients, even in challenging cases involving substantial or torsed lobes.