ABSTRACT
Introduction: The introduction of laparoscopic surgery has changed abdominal surgery. We evaluated
the evolution and changing trends associated with adoption of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) and
the experience of a surgeon without prior LLR experience.
Methods: A retrospective review of 310 patients who underwent LLR performed by a single surgeon
from 2011 to 2020 was conducted. Exclusion criteria were patients who underwent laparoscopic liver
surgeries such as excision biopsy, local ablation, drainage of abscesses and deroofing of liver cysts.
There were 300 cases and the cohort was divided into 5 groups of 60 patients.
Results: There were 288 patients who underwent a totally minimally invasive approach, including
28 robotic-assisted procedures. Open conversion occurred for 13 (4.3%) patients; the conversion rate
decreased significantly from 10% in the initial period to 3.3% subsequently. There were 83 (27.7%)
major resections and 131 (43.7%) resections were performed for tumours in the difficult
posterosuperior location. There were 152 (50.7%) patients with previous abdominal surgery, including
52 (17.3%) repeat liver resections for recurrent tumours, and 60 patients had other concomitant
operations. According to the Iwate criteria, 135 (44.7%) were graded as high/expert difficulty. Major
morbidity (>grade 3a) occurred in 12 (4.0%) patients and there was no 30-day mortality. Comparison
across the 5 patient groups demonstrated a significant trend towards older patients, higher American
Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, increasing frequency of LLR with previous abdominal
surgery, increasing frequency of portal hypertension and huge tumours, decreasing blood loss and
decreasing transfusion rate across the study period. Surgeon experience (≤60 cases) and Institut
Mutualiste Montsouris (IMM) high grade resections were independent predictors of open conversion.
Open conversion was associated with worse perioperative outcomes such as increased blood loss,
transfusion rate, morbidity and length of stay.
Conclusion: LLR can be safely adopted for resections of all difficulty grades, including major resections
and for tumours located in the difficult posterosuperior segments, with a low open conversion rate.
Keywords: Laparoscopic hepatectomy, laparoscopic liver resection, robotic hepatectomy, robotic liver
resection, Singapore
Evolution and trends in the adoption of laparoscopic liver resection
in Singapore: Analysis of 300 cases
