Laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy for HCC

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) located in caudate lobectomy is not common, but caudate lobectomy is associated with technical difficulty and high degree of operative risk due to deep location of the caudate lobe and surrounding major vasculature. Recently, with advances in technology and accumulation of techniques, minimal invasive surgery has been widely performed in the field of liver surgery. However, laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy is still technically challenging which requires in-depth knowledge of the anatomy of the caudate and extensive experience in laparoscopic liver surgery. This review focuses on the surgical techniques and outcomes of laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy. Although it is difficult to make conclusion regarding oncologic outcome because only a few studies with limited case numbers have reported oncologic outcome of laparoscopic isolated caudate lobectomy for HCC, laparoscopic approach could be performed safely with several benefits and become a favorable method for isolated caudate lobectomy, especially for surgeons with relatively large experience in laparoscopic liver surgery