Comparing Outcomes of Minimally Invasive and Open Hepatectomy for Primary Liver Malignancies in Patients with Low-MELD Cirrhosis

Introduction: Cirrhotic patients with primary liver cancer may undergo curative-intent resection when selected appropriately. Patients with T1 tumors and low-MELD are generally referred for resection. We aim to evaluate whether minimally invasive hepatectomy (MIH) is associated with improved outcomes versus open hepatectomy (OH).

Methods: NSQIP hepatectomy database 2014-2021 was used to select patients with T1 Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) or Intra-hepatic Cholangiocarcionoma (IHCC) and low-MELD cirrhosis (MELD ≤ 10) who underwent partial hepatectomy. Propensity score matching was applied between OH and MIH patients, and 30-day postoperative outcomes were compared. Multivariable regression was used to identify predictors of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) in the selected population.

Results: There were 922 patients: 494 (53.6%) OH, 372 (40.3%) MIH, and 56 (6.1%) began MIH converted to OH (analyzed with the OH cohort). We matched 354 pairs of patients with an adequate balance between the groups. MIH was associated with lower rates of bile leak (HR 0.37 [0.19-0.72)], PHLF (HR 0.36 [0.15-0.86]), collections requiring drainage (HR 0.30 [0.15-0.63]), postoperative transfusion (HR 0.36 [0.21-0.61]), major (HR 0.45 [0.27-0.77]), and overall morbidity (HR 0.44 [0.31-0.63]), and a two-day shorter median hospitalization (3 vs. 5 days; HR 0.61 [0.45-0.82]). No difference was noted in operative time, wound, respiratory, and septic complications, or mortality. Regression analysis identified ascites, prior portal vein embolization (PVE), additional hepatectomies, Pringle's maneuver, and OH (vs. MIH) as independent predictors of PHLF.

Conclusion: MIH for early-stage HCC/IHCC in low-MELD cirrhotic patients was associated with improved postoperative outcomes over OH. These findings suggest that MIH should be considered an acceptable approach in this population of patients.