Laparoendoscopic single-site minor hepatectomy for liver tumors

Background Laparoscopic liver surgery is gaining increasing acceptance worldwide, but its frontiers are constantly challenged. Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) has been performed for various organs, but the feasibility of LESS hepatectomies has yet to be explored fully. Methods From May 2010 to March 2011, seven patients underwent LESS minor hepatectomies. Patient demographic, operative, and clinical data were reviewed. Results Five left lateral sectionectomies, one segment 3, and one segment 5 resection were performed. The median operative time was 142 min (range, 104-171 min), and the median blood loss was 200 ml (range, 100-450 ml). The median hospital stay was 3 days (range, 1-11 days). For all the patients, the indications for surgery were suspected malignant tumors, and the surgical resection margins were clear for every patient. Conclusions Laparoendoscopic single-site minor hepatectomy is a novel modification to traditional laparoscopic surgery. The method is safe and feasible without any compromise to oncologic safety for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal liver metastases that are peripheral and smaller than 5 cm in size.