Background: The role of liver resection (LR) in patients with non-tumoral hepatic disease (NTHD) remains controversial.
Objective: To analyze the indications and outcomes of liver resections in patients with NTHD.
Methods: A retrospective analysis in a multicentric data base was performed. Outcome measures were incidence of postoperative cholangitis, infectious and non-infectious complications, hospital stay and overall mortality.
Results: One hundred and fourteen patients underwent LR due to NTHD from January 2001 to November 2011. Fourteen patients presented complex bile duct injuries (CBDI), 18 intra-hepatic lithiasis (IL), 32 liver hydatid cysts (LHC), 10 polycystic liver disease (PLD), 19 Caroli's disease (CD) and 21 other NTHD. Forty seven patients underwent a major hepatectomy and 67 a liver segmentectomy or an atypical liver resection. Thirty four patients (29%) presented surgical related complications. There was not intra or post-operative mortality. In long term outcomes, 98 patients (85%) were asymptomatic, 10 presented episodes of intermittent cholangitis that were treated with antibiotics, and 7 underwent another surgical procedure.
Conclusions: LR is a radical and effective procedure to treat benign NTHD instead of other surgical or percutaneous procedures, avoiding multiple sessions of treatment and high post procedure complications rates.