Single incision laparoscopic surgery for a life-threatening, cyst of liver

Abstract

Most liver cysts are asymptomatic and tend to have a benign clinical course. However, symptomatic or complicated liver cysts sometimes require surgical intervention. The laparoscopic approach is crucial and provides definitive treatment for such cysts. Recently, a trend of laparoscopic procedure has been toward minimizing the number of incisions. We performed single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for a huge liver cyst with chronic heart failure and thrombosis of the inferior vena cava. An 83 year-old female presented with a month-long history of general fatigue and loss of appetite. She had a history of a huge liver cyst with chronic heart failure and this had been treated in another hospital eight months previously. Physical examination revealed a huge mass in the right upper abdomen without local tenderness or any peritoneal signs. A CT scan demonstrated simple liver cysts and compression of the IVC and right ventricule, with IVC thrombosis. After heparinization, we performed needle aspiration for cytology of the largest cyst and improvement of cardiac function. Six days later, we performed wide unroofing by Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS). She was moved to a rehabilitation ward two weeks after surgery. No recurrence of the liver cyst was detected two months later.