Abstract:
Despite recent advances in hepatic surgery, resection
of the cirrhotic liver continues to be fraught
with high morbidity and mortality rates. As a result,
for many patients requiring resection of HCC the
postoperative course is complicated and the probability
of cure is diminished by coexisting cirrhosis.
In this review, we discuss the characteristics
of the cirrhotic liver which make it poorly tolerant
of resection and the most common complications
that follow such surgery. The main purpose of this
paper is to review recent attempts to identify interventions
that might be beneficial to cirrhotic patients
undergoing resection. These interventions include
assessment of liver reserve, advances in surgical
technique, and improvement in liver function and
regeneration.
