Re-resection for colorectal liver metastasis

With the decreasing mortality and morbidity of liver resection in the last 10 years, a more aggressive approach has emerged against liver metastases of colorectal cancer. Repeat liver resection is being performed for patients with isolated liver recurrence following a first hepatectomy. Based on a 2-year experience of 55 repeat hepatic resections performed in 44 patients, the authors observed no operative mortality and a postoperative morbidity of 15% similar to that of first hepatectomies. Five-year survival rate is 44% following second hepatectomy. These results combined with the review of the literature demonstrate that rehapectomy may be performed safely and may provide the only chance of long-term remission in patients presenting with technically resectable liver recurrence in the absence of widespread extrahepatic disease.