BACKGROUND: The development of a hepatic surgery center within a US Department of Veterans Affairs hospital is dependent on proper training and institutional support, which can translate into low operative morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS: Patients who underwent hepatic procedures between 2003 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. A subset analysis of laparoscopic liver resections for patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) was performed. One hundred twenty-six patients underwent 130 hepatic procedures, 65% of which were hepatic resections. Ninety-seven percent of cases were for malignant disease, including HCC (70%). RESULTS: The morbidity and mortality rates were 15.5% and 2.4%, respectively. For patients with HCC there was no difference in operative outcomes or overall survival when procedures were performed laparoscopically. CONCLUSIONS: A Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital specializing in hepatic surgery can achieve low complication rates comparable with those of high-volume centers. The numbers of patient referrals and hepatic resections and the proportion of laparoscopic operations increased after the creation of a dedicated hepatic surgery center within a single VA hospital. Published by Elsevier Inc.
BACKGROUND: The development of a hepatic surgery center within a US Department of Veterans Affairs hospital is dependent on proper training and institutional support, which can translate into low operative morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS:Patients who underwent hepatic procedures between 2003 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. A subset analysis of laparoscopic liver resections for patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) was performed. One hundred twenty-six patients underwent 130 hepatic procedures, 65% of which were hepatic resections. Ninety-seven percent of cases were for malignant disease, including HCC (70%). RESULTS: The morbidity and mortality rates were 15.5% and 2.4%, respectively. For patients with HCC there was no difference in operative outcomes or overall survival when procedures were performed laparoscopically. CONCLUSIONS: A Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital specializing in hepatic surgery can achieve low complication rates comparable with those of high-volume centers. The numbers of patient referrals and hepatic resections and the proportion of laparoscopic operations increased after the creation of a dedicated hepatic surgery center within a single VA hospital. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Authors: Kevin Ryan Parks; Yen-Hong Kuo; John Mihran Davis; Brittany O' Brien; Ellen J Hagopian Journal: HPB (Oxford) Date: 2013-05-15 Impact factor: 3.647