Intrahepatic Glissonian approach for laparoscopic right segmental liver resections

Background Experience with laparoscopic procedures and recent advances in laparoscopic devices have created an evolving interest in the application of these techniques to liver resection. However, laparoscopic liver resection has not been widely developed and anatomical segmental liver resection is not currently performed due to difficulty to control segmental Glissonean pedicles laparoscopically. Methods Seven consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic liver resection using an intrahepatic Glissonian approach from April 2007 to September 2007. Three patients underwent laparoscopic bisegmentectomy 6–7 and 4 patients underwent laparoscopic right hemihepatectomy. Results Blood transfusion was required in 1 patient. Mean operation time was 460 minutes (range 300–630 minutes). The median hospital stay was 5 days (range 3–8 days). One patient developed bile leakage that was treated conservatively. No patient had postoperative signs of liver failure. No postoperative mortality was observed. Conclusions The main advantage over other techniques is the possibility to gain a rapid and precise access to the right posterior and anterior sheaths facilitating right hemihepatectomy, and right anterior and posterior sectionectomies. We believe that the described technique facilitates laparoscopic liver resection by reducing the technical difficulties in pedicle control and may increase the development of segment-based laparoscopic liver resections.