Long-term results of laparoscopic unroofing of symptomatic solitary nonparasitic hepatic cysts.

The long-term results of laparoscopic unroofing for symptomatic solitary nonparasitic hepatic cysts have not been well demonstrated. During the last 8 years, five patients with symptomatic solitary nonparasitic hepatic cysts underwent laparoscopic unroofing. Their symptoms were right-upper-quadrant pain (in three patients) and epigastric pain (in two). Accompanying the hepatic cysts were acute cholecystitis in one case and adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder in another. Perioperative data, including operation time, estimated blood loss, complications, hospital stay, and mortality rate, were evaluated. There were no conversions to open laparotomy. Cysts were located in segments 4 and 5 in three patients, segment 3 in one, and segment 8 in another, and the mean size of the cysts was 10.4 cm in diameter (range: 7-18 cm). In four cases cholecystectomy was performed simultaneously. Mean operation time, estimated blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay were 182 minutes (range: 72-270), 168 mL (range: minimal to 800 mL), and 9.4 days (range: 7-12), respectively. There were no deaths or instances of major morbidity. During a mean follow-up period of 66 months (range: 35-102), one patient had a recurrent lesion requiring reoperation. Laparoscopic unroofing is a feasible and safe procedure for patients with symptomatic solitary nonparasitic hepatic cysts. Strict patient selection, accurate location of the cyst within the liver, and a sufficiently wide unroofing technique are needed for the outcome to be successful.