Pure laparoscopic vs open right hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score‐matched analysis

Background/Purpose Since minimally invasive surgery has been incorporated in overall surgery, pure laparoscopic technology is involved in most hepatectomies, including right hepatectomy, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its feasibility and safety in right hepatectomy are still controversial owing to the limited literature. This study aimed to compare the short‐ and long‐term outcomes of pure laparoscopic right hepatectomy (PLRH) with those of open right hepatectomy (ORH) in patients with HCC. Methods The prospectively collected medical records of 327 patients with HCC who underwent right hepatectomy between January 2010 and April 2020 at Seoul National University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching between the PLRH and ORH groups. The primary end point was short‐term outcomes, including hospital stay, blood loss, and morbidity; the secondary end point was long‐term outcomes, including overall and recurrence‐free survival. Results Forty‐nine patients were included in each group. Patients who underwent PLRH had a shorter postoperative hospital stay than those who underwent ORH (12.2 vs 8.9 days; P