Liver parenchymal sparing surgery for locally advanced gallbladder cancer with extracapsular lymph node invasion

Abstract

A complete R0 resection is the standard treatment in patients with gallbladder cancer and the only potentially definitive curative therapy. Major hepatectomy, including right or extended right hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection, would be an option in patients with locally advanced gallbladder cancer, while morbidity and mortality rate are still high. Herein, we report a case of a locally advanced gallbladder cancer invading the right hepatic artery (RHA), common hepatic duct, and transverse colon. This patient was successfully treated with parenchymal sparing surgery without major hepatectomy and achieved R0 resection by means of extended cholecystectomy combined with resection of the transverse colon, extrahepatic bile duct, and RHA. Intrahepatic arterial flow was preserved without reconstruction of the RHA, and the postoperative course was favorable. Liver parenchymal sparing surgery might be an alternative procedure in patients with gallbladder cancer, to minimize the risk of severe morbidity, if R0 resection is possible. © 2014 Narita et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.