Intermittent portal triad clamping in resection of liver tumors involving the hepatocaval confluence.

OBJECTIVE: To review our experience in and the results of resecting liver tumors involving the hepatocaval confluence under intermittent portal triad clamping (PTC).

METHODS: Sixty-eight consecutive patients with liver tumors involving the hepatocaval confluence underwent hepatectomies with liver parenchymal transections under intermittent PTC.

RESULTS: All the tumors were successfully resected under PTC, except for one in which the infrahepatic inferior vena cava was concomitantly occluded in addition to PTC. There was neither operative death nor uncontrollable massive bleeding or air embolism occurred in our patients. The bleedings from the main and short hepatic veins and right adrenal veins were properly managed during the operation, with a mean intraoperative blood loss of 1400 ml. Of the 68 tumors resected, 65 were hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Their 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year survival rates were 64.11%, 52.82%, 44.90% and 36.98%, respectively, and the patients with HCC with capsules survived significantly longer than those with HCC without capsules.

CONCLUSIONS: The liver tumors involving the hepatocaval confluence could be safely resected simply under PTC, without routine use of total hepatic vascular exclusion. As for HCCs in this area, the tumor with capsule is a better indicator for surgical resection than that without capsule.