Surgical outcomes after laparoscopic or robotic liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity-score matched analysis with conventional open liver resection

Background This study was designed to compare perioperative and oncologic outcomes between minimally invasive liver resection (MILR) and conventional open liver resection (COLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a propensity‐score matched analysis. Methods Ninety‐nine patients who received MILR were matched with 198 patients treated with COLR out of 928 patients with HCC who received curative liver resection from 2002 to 2012. A multivariable logistic model based on factors related to the patient, tumor, and surgical procedure was used to estimate a propensity score. Results The MILR group experienced significantly less intraoperative blood loss (mean: 389.55 vs 580.66 mL; P = 0.008), lower complication rates (13.1% vs 24.7%; P = 0.020), and a shorter length of hospital stay (mean: 8.40 vs 13.39 days; P < 0.001). The two groups did not differ significantly in disease‐free (P = 0.701) or overall survival (P = 0.086). Conclusions MILR produced better perioperative and comparable oncologic outcomes than COLR for HCC. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.