Liver resection for intrahepatic stones

Abstract

Hypothesis: Long-term outcome is good for a selected group of patients with hepatolithiasis treated with liver resection. Liver resection should also be offered to patients with complex hepatolithiasis such as bilateral stones or those with strictures.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Regional hospital.

Patients: A total of 174 patients with hepatolithiasis (201 procedures) treated between January 1, 1989, and September 30, 2003.

Interventions: Liver resection (52 procedures) or removal of stones primarily by percutaneous choledochoscopy (149 procedures).

Main outcome measure: Recurrence of cholangitis.

Results: Most patients in the liver resection group had stones localized to the left side. The overall success rate in this group was 98.0% (49 of 50 patients, excluding 2 patients found to have cholangiocarcinoma). The chance of biliary sepsis at 5 years after resection was 13.3%. The overall success rate of stone removal primarily by percutaneous choledochoscopy was 70.5%. The bilaterality of stones, the presence of stricture, and the presence of atrophy were found to be significant risk factors for a poor long-term outcome after stone removal alone. The chance of biliary sepsis at 5 years was 26.4% and 43.2% for those without and with stricture, respectively.

Conclusions: The long-term outcome after liver resection for hepatolithiasis was excellent for a selected group of patients. Poor outcomes were recorded for patients whose intrahepatic stones were removed primarily by percutaneous choledochoscopy, especially those with strictures. The indication for liver resection for hepatolithiasis should be extended to patients with strictures and those with bilateral stones. A combination of different treatment modalities is necessary to improve the outcome of these patients.