Meta-analysis of outcomes with laparoscopic versus open liver resection in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Recent studies have shown that laparoscopic surgery was associated with better overall survival compared with open surgery in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal liver metastasis. The potential benefits of laparoscopic liver resection (LRR) over open liver resection (OLR) have not yet been demonstrated in patients with resectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). A meta-analysis of six propensity-score matched studies (in total 530 OLR patients versus 512 LRR patients) found that LLR compared with OLR significantly decreased the hazard of death (HR 0.795; 95% CI 0.638-0.992). Moreover, LRR was associated with significant decrease in operative bleeding and transfusion as well with shorter hospital stay and lower rate of Clavien-Dindo ≥ III complications).