Pure Laparoscopic Hepatectomy for HCC Patients

Pure laparoscopic hepatectomy is thought to be a less invasive procedure than conventional open hepatectomy for the resection of hepatic lesions (1). Recent development of devices facilitates expansion of the indication of the procedure (2, 3). At the present moment, common advantages of laparoscopic surgery, such as early recovery and discharge with smaller postoperative pain and earlier intake, have been reported (4). However, specific advantages and/or disadvantages of pure laparoscopic hepatectomy for the settlement of the indication have yet to be sufficiently discussed.