Falciform ligament in the management of the residual cavity for liver hydatidosis: New surgical technique

Introduction: Hydatid disease is a common condition worldwide and continues to be a significant societal problem in many countries of all continents. Alhough other treatment options are also available, surgery remains the cornerstone of therapy for hepatic hydatid disease. Omentoplasty seems to be an efficient technique for managing the residual cavity, but it has some shortcomings and might be difficult in secondary cases. Therefore we describe a new technique using the falciform ligament as a flap instead of omentum for managing the residual cavity, as it is more anatomic and a better option for liver cysts. Methods: From April 2004 to October 2005, a total of 20 patients (11 women) with a median age of 43 years (range 23-66 years) underwent partial cystectomy-falciformoplasty for hydatid liver disease. The falciform ligament was prepared as a flap in all patients during the initial step of the operation and, after partial cystectomy and evacuation of the cystic components, the flap was inserted into the cystic cavity and fixed with sutures. A single drain was inserted into the subhepatic area. Results: Cysts were located in the right lobe of the liver in 14 patients and mean diameter of the cyst was 10 cm (range 7-25 cm). The mean duration of the operation was 40 minutes (range 3569 minutes), and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 4 days (range 3-7 days). None of the patients had any major complications. Only two patients had persistent drainage for 7 days, which stopped spontaneously. The median follow-up was 9 months (range 2-19 months). Patients underwent duplex ultrasonography (US) to check the viability of the flap and the residual cavity at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. US did not reveal any collection, the cavities were fully collapsed, and blood flow to the falciform ligaments was seen to be viable. Conclusions: Using the falciform ligament as a flap for management of the residual cavity is an easy, safe, effective new technique with few complications. It might be a good choice in patients with hydatid liver disease.