2017 Volume 31 Issue 1 Pages 78-86
Hepatectomy combined with hepatic artery resection and reconstruction for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma is a highly challenging procedure. Several authors have reported the outcome of this procedure with a limited number of resected patients, showing somewhat negative results. However, recent advances in surgical techniques and knowledge in the era of liver transplantation have facilitated the performance of hepatic artery reconstruction. So far, we performed 134 hepatectomies combined with hepatic artery resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (simultaneous resection of the portal vein and hepatic artery, n=96; hepatic artery resection alone, n=38). Overall survival, including in-hospital deaths, for the 134 patients was approximately 30%: actually, 20 patients survived for more than 5 years after surgery, and 2 patients survived for more than 10 years without recurrence. These observations, although still small number of patients, indicated that this surgery can offer a better chance of long-term survival in some selected patients with locally advanced perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.
