Segmental liver resections, present and future-caudate lobe resection for liver tumors

Resection of the caudate lobe of the liver is difficult to perform because of a deep location and an adjacency to the major vessels.

A total of 30 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) originating in the caudate lobe underwent hepatic resection. The lobe was classified to Spiegel's portion, the process portion, and the caval portion. The operative procedure undertaken was chosen on the basis of tumor location as well as hepatic function of each patient.

In 14 patients who had an HCC located at Spiegel's portion or the process portion, the tumor was removed by local resection of the caudate lobe (n = 10), or by resection combined with lobectomy (n = 2) or subsegmentectomy (n = 2). In 16 patients with an HCC at the caval portion, caudate lobe resections with preparatory lobectomy (n = 6), segmentectomy (n = 1), or subsegmentectomy (n = 4) were performed. In the other 5, isolated total or partial resection of the caudate lobe was carried out because of the presence of severe cirrhosis. All operations were defined as curative, but produced two operative deaths due to liver failure. The cumulative rate of overall survival was 41% at 5 years after surgery.

Caudate lobe resection for HCC can be performed even in cirrhotic patients with a favorable surgical outcome.