Aim: To investigate whether the use of synchronous hepatectomy and splenectomy (HS) is more effective than hepatectomy alone (HA) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hypersplenism.
Methods: From January 2007 to March 2013, 84 consecutive patients with HCC and hypersplenism who underwent synchronous hepatectomy and splenectomy in our center were compared with 84 well-matched patients from a pool of 268 patients who underwent hepatectomy alone. The short-term and long-term outcomes of the two groups were analyzed and compared.
Results: The mean time to recurrence was 21.11±12.04 mo in the HS group and 11.23±8.73 mo in the HA group, and these values were significantly different (P=0.001). The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year disease-free survival rates for the patients in the HS group and the HA group were 86.7%, 70.9%, 52.7%, and 45.9% and 88.1%, 59.4%, 43.3%, and 39.5%, respectively (P=0.008). Platelet and white blood cell counts in the HS group were significantly increased compared with the HA group one day, one week, one month and one year postoperatively (P<0.001). Splenectomy and micro-vascular invasion were significant independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival. Gender, tumor number, and recurrence were independent prognostic factors for overall survival.
Conclusion: Synchronous hepatectomy and hepatectomy potentially improves disease-free survival rates and alleviates hypersplenism without increasing the surgical risks for patients with HCC and hypersplenism.
Keywords: Case-control study; Hepatectomy; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hypersplenism; Splenectomy.