An 8-year experience of hepatic resection: indications and outcome

Most reports highlighting decreasing operative morbidity and mortality rates following hepatic resection have focused on the management of metastatic disease. Information on the full range of hepatic disease is lacking.

The indications for hepatic resection in a specialist hepatobiliary unit have been reviewed and the operative morbidity and mortality rates assessed.

Among 129 patients undergoing 133 hepatic resections between October 1988 and September 1996, the principal indication for resection was hepatic malignancy (102 resections), metastatic in 66 cases. Other indications included contiguous tumour (n = 20), primary tumour (n = 16) and benign disease (n = 31). Some 116 procedures were classical anatomical resections. Blood transfusion was required in 40 per cent of cases but major morbidity occurred in 20 per cent. There were six deaths following surgery, five of which were due to hepatic failure and followed resection for malignancy or trauma. The 3-year survival rate in patients resected for colorectal metastases was 65 per cent.

This experience has demonstrated an increasing role for hepatic resection in a wide variety of hepatobiliary pathologies. Despite the low postoperative mortality rate, the significant risk of complications in the postoperative period serves to emphasize the need for careful selection of patients for such surgery, which should be undertaken in specialist centres.