Practice of laparoscopic hepatectomy in primary care facilities in China: surgical planning, surgical techniques and postoperative management

Abstract

With the development and application of laparoscopic hepatectomy in major medical centers, domestic and foreign guidelines have summarized the indications, surgical techniques and operational procedures of the surgery. But in primary care facilities, where the surgical equipment are available, laparoscopic hepatectomy is performed only in a small number of cases and the progress of its application remains slow. The reasons possibly lie in the failure of a full understanding of the surgery, the lack of anatomical knowledge of laparoscopic hepatectomy, the lack of close multidisciplinary cooperation in the perioperative period and insufficient training of laparoscopic technology. In this review, we elaborate on three aspects of laparoscopic hepatectomy: preoperative planning, surgical techniques and postoperative management. Before the operation, the surgeons should fully understand the anatomical structure of the liver and select appropriate cases considering both the difficulty of operation and the surgical experience of the surgeons. During the operation, the position of the patient and the layout of the stamping card should be appropriate, and the central venous pressure needs to be well controlled in close cooperation with the anesthesiologist. The surgeons should be proficient at the techniques of liver suspension and pulling and at the use of ultrasonic knife, and select correct techniques for management of bleeding and the control of blood flow in and out of the liver. The patient should receive postoperative management with standard enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. These experiences may help to improve the practice of laparoscopic hepatectomy in local hospitals or primary care facilities.