New Endoscopic Surgical Treatment-Thoracoscopic Microwave Coagulo-Necrotic Therapy for small hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Thoracoscopic microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy (thoraco. MCN) involves approaching lesions via the thoracic cavity and incising the diaphragm. It was performed in 13 patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (s-HCC) located on the dome of the anterior superior segment or posterior superior segment of the liver, because surgical resection and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy were judged to be excessively cumbersome. In all 13 patients, oral feeding was possible on the first postoperative day and no complications were observed. Twelve patients survived up to one year and seven months postoperatively, except for one patient who died seven months after surgery. On CT scan two weeks postoperatively, the treated region including the cancer showed a marked change to a low density area and no enhancement. Thoraco. MCN was concluded to be a useful new method of endoscopic surgical treatment for s-HCC located on the dome of the liver, both therapeutic efficacy and minimal invasiveness.