The Function and Application of 3D Visualization in the Treatment of Primary Hepatic Carcinoma

Abstract

Primary Hepatic Carcinoma refers to malignant liver tumors. Hepatocellular Carcinoma accounts for more than 90% of primary hepatic carcinomawith its incidence rate ranking the sixth in global tumor incidence and mortality rate ranking the third in tumor-related death in the world. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment for early primary hepatic carcinoma. It includes liver transplantation, partial hepatectomy, laparoscopic hepatectomy, etc. based on Milan criteria, University of California criteria and Hang Zhou criteria. But how the operation is done relies on tumor-evaluation in different stages before the surgery. Medical Imaging is the way to evaluate malignancy degree but is usually 2D. Even though the high-end CT and MR can reconstruct 3D image, clinicians are still provided with 2D image. Therefore, in order to diagnose diseases, surgeons have to reconstruct 2D image into 3D image in their mind according to their experience and liver anatomical structure, causing possible uncertainty and errors in the treatment [1]. It is more so in the following cases: complicated hepatectomy, which requires to resect a larger part of liver tissue, may give rise to postoperative hepatic disorder or even hepatic failure; special surgery site makes it hard to expose the anatomical position and may cause intraoperative bleeding because it is close to major vessels; hepatic blood supply disorder (hepatic congestion, hepatic ischemia) increases difficulty and risk in surgery. All of the above require clinicians to make sufficient preoperative plans, careful intraoperative anatomy and proper postoperative management [2].