BACKGROUND: Elective surgery for liver hemangiomas is still controversial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients, all symptomatic, underwent surgery for liver hemangiomas between August 1986 and June 2001. The primary indications for surgery were abdominal pain in 12 patients, pain and enlargement in 4, bleeding after needle biopsy in 1 and diagnostic uncertainty and suspicion of malignancy in 4. RESULTS: Enucleation was the choice of operation in 18 patients. Hospital mortality and morbidity were 0% and 9.52% respectively. Mean follow-up period was 58.55 months (2-180). Mean hospitalization time was 15.6 days (8-75) and mean transfusion requirement was 2.1 units (0-18) of erythrocyte suspension. The median largest dimension of the major lesions was 12.71 cm (2-30). CONCLUSION: Elective surgery is indicated in a small subset of patients with hemangiomas because of abdominal pain, enlargement, diagnostic uncertainty and bleeding after needle biopsy. The results of surgery without any mortality and minimal morbidity are safe and effective. Enucleation is the preferred operation and can be performed rapidly and safely.
BACKGROUND: Elective surgery for liver hemangiomas is still controversial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients, all symptomatic, underwent surgery for liver hemangiomas between August 1986 and June 2001. The primary indications for surgery were abdominal pain in 12 patients, pain and enlargement in 4, bleeding after needle biopsy in 1 and diagnostic uncertainty and suspicion of malignancy in 4. RESULTS: Enucleation was the choice of operation in 18 patients. Hospital mortality and morbidity were 0% and 9.52% respectively. Mean follow-up period was 58.55 months (2-180). Mean hospitalization time was 15.6 days (8-75) and mean transfusion requirement was 2.1 units (0-18) of erythrocyte suspension. The median largest dimension of the major lesions was 12.71 cm (2-30). CONCLUSION: Elective surgery is indicated in a small subset of patients with hemangiomas because of abdominal pain, enlargement, diagnostic uncertainty and bleeding after needle biopsy. The results of surgery without any mortality and minimal morbidity are safe and effective. Enucleation is the preferred operation and can be performed rapidly and safely.