Usefulness and safety of midline incision for right-sided hepatectomy: Cohort study

BACKGROUND: While the adoption rates of laparoscopic hepatectomy are increasing, most patients still undergo open hepatectomy. Open hepatectomies use inverted L-shaped or Mercedes incisions for right-sided liver tumor. To decrease procedural invasiveness, we performed midline incisions in such cases, excluding those of laparoscopic hepatectomy. This retrospective study examined the effects of this change in treatment policy on overall patient surgical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2012 to 2018, 374 patients who underwent hepatectomy for right-sided hepatocellular carcinoma were enrolled, and short-term patient outcomes were compared following stratification into the 1st (n = 157) or 2nd (n = 217) Era group based on whether procedures occurred before or after the policy change, respectively. RESULTS: Short-term outcomes were mostly comparable between the two groups, with significantly increased postoperative aspartate aminotransferase maximum values found in the 2nd Era group relative to the 1st Era group (median: 393 vs. 331, p < 0.05). Pain scores at rest during postoperative day 1 and while moving on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3 were significantly lower in the 2nd Era group than in the 1st Era group (p < 0.05, <0.01, <0.05, <0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of midline incisions may provide some benefits in postoperative outcomes for right-sided open hepatectomy cases.