Aim of the study

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers, with a high mortality rate worldwide. Laparoscopic hepatectomy is considered an important curative treatment option for those detected at an early stage. This study aimed to describe the preliminary results of laparoscopic surgery in patients with HCC.

Material and methods

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 78 patients diagnosed with HCC undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy from 2021 to 2025. Data on initial treatment outcomes were collected from medical records.

Results

The majority of patients were male (80.8%) and aged ≥ 60 years (46.2%). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was the main risk factor (67.9%). Most tumors were solitary (85.9%) and ≤ 5 cm in diameter (76.9%). The mean operative time was 164.9 ±59.8 minutes, with a mean blood loss of 347.2 ±217.8 ml. The average hospital stay was 7.7 ±2.8 days. Among those who developed complications, most were minor, with 57 patients (73.1%) classified as grade I and 7 patients (9.0%) classified as grade II. The most common postoperative complications were pleural effusion (32.1%) and residual fluid collection (32.1%). Median -fetoprotein (AFP) levels decreased from 1450.5 ng/ml (IQR: 14.5-2027.8) preoperatively to 4.62 ng/ml (IQR: 3.05-53.04) postoperatively and 4.0 ng/ml (IQR: 2.3-6.5) at 3 months (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Laparoscopic hepatectomy appears feasible and safe in carefully selected patients with HCC, associated with favorable perioperative outcomes, low complication rates, and satisfactory short-term biochemical recovery. Long-term follow-up is essential to evaluate recurrence rates, disease-free survival, and overall survival after laparoscopic hepatectomy.