Laparoscopic left hepatectomy with hanging maneuver for hepatocellular carcinoma with thrombectomy of the left portal vein (with video)

A novel modified hanging maneuver in laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy

INTRODUCTION

The liver hanging maneuver is an essential technique for controlling bleeding in hepatectomy, however it is often difficult in laparoscopic major hepatectomy. The present study describes a novel modified hanging maneuver in laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 29-year-old female underwent laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy for mucinous cystic neoplasm. After mobilizing the left lobe, the liver parenchyma was dissected along the demarcation line. For the hanging technique, the upper edge of the hanging tape was placed on the lateral side of the left hepatic vein, and fixed with the Falciform ligament. The lower edge of the tape was extracted outside the abdomen. Accordingly the hanging tape can be controlled extraperitoneally during the liver parenchyma dissection.

DISCUSSION

This technique includes several advantages including no need of assistance using forceps, easy control of the hanging tape extraperitoneally, outflow control, better exposure of surgical field, and helpful guide of the liver dissection line toward the root of the left hepatic vein.

CONCLUSION

Our novel modified hanging maneuver is easy and reproducible to use in laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy. Moreover, this technique can be applied to other laparoscopic hepatectomy.

Up-to-down open and laparoscopic liver hanging maneuver: an overview

BACKGROUND

The liver hanging maneuver (LHM) was described by Belghiti et al. to facilitate liver resection and is done classically by creating a space between the caudate lobe and the inferior vena cava starting on the edge of caudate lobe and extending cranially, in a para-caval fashion, towards the space between the right and middle hepatic veins. LHM facilitates liver transection, guides anatomical resections, decreases blood loss, facilitates harvesting of the liver graft in live donors, and also has oncological advantages.

STUDY DESIGN

We describe a new approach named "up-to-down" to perform LHM in open and laparoscopic liver resections. This approach was mainly used in obese patients, in laparoscopic liver resections and in cases of failure of the classic approach. The advantages/disadvantages, complications, and different modalities of LHM are also summarized.

RESULTS

The peritoneal layer between the liver capsule and the infrahepatic vena cava is opened, and a short blind dissection is initiated on the right anterolateral aspect of the inferior vena cava to the left of the hepatic vein of segment VI. The suprahepatic vena cava is exposed, and the space between the right and middle hepatic veins and the vena cava is created by gentle dissection. A 16-Fr nasogastric tube is positioned in the space between the right and middle hepatic vein, pointing inferiorly, and pushed downwards, in a para-caval manner caudally until it is seen inferiorly. The results of this approach are given.

CONCLUSION

LHM facilitates liver resection, and many variations have been described worldwide in open and laparoscopic liver surgery. The up-to-down approach should be part of the surgical armamentarium in order to offer a safer way to achieve LHM in some patients.