Surgical management of primary liver cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: overcoming the dilemma with standardization

The present study evaluates the impact of the pandemic on outcomes after surgical treatment for primary liver cancer in a high-volume hepatopancreatobiliary surgery center. Patients, who underwent liver resection for primary liver resection between January 2019 and February 2020, comprised pre-pandemic control group. The pandemic period was divided into two timeframes: early pandemic (March 2020–January 2021) and late pandemic (February 2021–December 2021). Liver resections during 2022 were considered as the post-pandemic period. Peri-, and postoperative patient data were gathered from a prospectively maintained database. Two-hundred-eighty-one patients underwent liver resection for primary liver cancer. The number of procedures decreased by 37.1% during early phase of pandemic, but then increased by 66.7% during late phase, which was comparable to post-pandemic phase. Postoperative outcomes were similar between four phases. The duration of hospital stay was longer during the late phase, but not significantly different compared to other groups. Despite an initial reduction in number of surgeries, COVID-19 pandemic had no negative effect on outcomes of surgical treatment for primary liver cancer. The structured standard operating protocol in a high-volume and highly specialized surgical center can withstand negative effects, a pandemic may have on treatment of patients.