Laparoscopic extended cholecystectomy.

Abstract

Inadvertent dissemination of latent gallbladder (GB) cancer has become a crucial issue with the widespread use of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a standard operation for benign gallbladder diseases. Laparoscopic extended cholecystectomy is a new technique we have developed for the resection of GB tumors with suspicion of malignancy. The procedure is safe and minimally invasive and prevents tumor dissemination. The GB is resected laparoscopically along with a 1-cm margin of the liver using LaparoSonic Coagulating Shears without any ligation or clipping. We applied this technique to a patient with a GB tumor in the fundus. The tumor was not exposed on the cut surface, and there were no postoperative complications. Laparoscopic extended cholecystectomy for GB tumors with suspicion of malignancy is a minimally invasive technique that may decrease the risk of tumor dissemination.