BACKGROUND: Liver metastasis of colorectal carcinoma are, nowadays, a potentially curable desease by most types of liver resections, of which right hepatectomy is being performed frequently in such cases. The objectives of this study are the analysis of pre, per and post-operative outcome of patients undergoing right hepatectomy for liver metastasis of colorectal carcinoma, their prognosis and the feasibility of repeat hepatectomy in case of recurrence. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients that underwent right hepatectomy for liver metastasis of colorectal carcinoma between 1990 and 2000 at Hospital Beaujon, Paris, were retrospectively analysed. Post-operative follow-up period was 33-+25 months. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality. Blood transfusion was necessary in 29,8% of the patients and post-operative morbidity was 57,9%. Tumors larger than 5cm were detected in 59% of the cases and 78,5% had more than one tumor. Five-year survival rate was 43% and desease-free five-year survival was 23%. Hepatic recurrence was observed in 19,3% and repeat resections could be performed in 45,5% of them, with no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Right hepatectomy for treatment of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer is safe, with low mortality and acceptable morbidity. Five-year survival rate is in according to literature. Repeat resections were feasible in half the cases of hepatic recurrence.
Colorectal neoplasm; Neoplasm metastasis; Hepatectomy; Liver
