BACKGROUNDLaparoscopic surgery is advantageous for minimal invasiveness and rapid postoperative recovery. Since the use of laparoscopic hepatectomy in liver resection in the 1990s, it has been performed in a few institutions worldwide. Lack of efficient and safe techniques for liver transaction is the major obstacle preventing from its further development. We developed a new technique for laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration in 1998. In this paper we analyze the clinical outcomes of this technique after 7 years of practice.

METHODSAltogether 59 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration from August 1998 to January 2005 at our institution. These patients included 33 males and 26 females, with a mean age of 47 years. For liver transection laparoscopic Peng's multifunctional operative dissector (LPMOD) was used. Lesions included malignant liver tumors in 19 patients, benign liver tumors in 17, intrahepatic calculus in 18, and other liver lesions in 5. Procedures included local resections in 30 patients, left lateral segmentectomy in 28, and right hemihepatectomy in 1.

RESULTSLaparoscopic operation was completed in 57 patients. Two patients (3.4%) had the operation converted to laparotomy. The mean operating time was 143 minutes and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 456 ml. The mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 7 days. Complications occurred in 2 patients (3.4%), and there was no perioperative death.

CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration is efficient and safe for liver resection.