Minimally Invasive Primary Liver Cancer Surgery

Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been rapidly expanding. With increasing experience, the safety and feasibility of LLR for HCC have been demonstrated. LLR of HCC is becoming the standard of care for minor liver resections, and even major LLR are being performed safely in experienced centers. In most reports, patients undergoing LLR had less blood loss, fewer transfusions, less postoperative morbidity, and shorter length of stay compared with open liver resections (OLR). The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates for patients undergoing LLR for HCC are comparable to OLR.