Outcome of Liver Resection for Liver Tumours in Children: An Institutional Review from a Developing Country

Abstract

Availability of gadgets like Harmonic Scalpel allows liver resection to be performed with ease andminimal blood loss. The scenario is different in a developing country
which lacks these modern gadgets. We present a review of our results of liver resection from a referral institute in a developing country. We reviewed children with liver
resection done at our Institute from July 1999 - July 2006. Children with liver trauma and non operated tumour cases were excluded. Twenty one resections were carried out in 7 years, achieving a 68.4% disease free survival rate. The most common presenting complaint was abdominal mass (19 /21-90%). The majority (85%, 18/21) were found to be
malignant on histopathological examination. Anatomical resections were performed in 16 (85%) children; 4 developed tumour recurrence, 3 with recurrence did not
respond to second line chemotherapy and diedwhilewaiting for reoperation. One with recurrent liver tumour refused further treatment.Two (10%)were lost to followup.
Liver resections can be safely performed in the absence of the modern gadgets, although presence of such gadgets would facilitate resection in terms of operating time and blood loss.

Keywords: Liver resection, paediatric liver tumours,
outcome

African Journal of Paediatric Surgery Vol. 4 (1) 2007: pp. 3-6