State of the art of intraoperative ultrasound in liver surgery: Current use for resection-guidance

Abstract

The performance of hepatic surgery without a parenchyma-sparing strategy carries significant risks for patient survival because of the not negligible occurrence of postoperative liver failure. In the modern liver surgery the use of the intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) allows the performance of the so-called "radical but conservative surgery", which is the pivotal factor to offer a chance of cure to an increasing proportion of patients, who until few years ago were considered only for palliative care. The present article details the rationale of IOUS for resection-guidance in liver surgery.