Repeat laparoscopic anatomical liver resection in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient: a case report

Anatomical resection (AR) has been reported to achieve better long-term outcomes than non-anatomical resection for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The surgical feasibility and oncological significance of laparoscopic AR (LAR), especially “subsegment resection”, “cone unit resection”, and repeat LAR for HCC, remain unproven. We present a 67-year-old patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and HCC who underwent full LAR three times, focusing on the technical aspects of the Glissonean approach. Repeating LAR for recurrent HCC could be a safe and feasible procedure. However, HCC recurred in the neighboring segment twice, even though pathological vascular invasion and marginal remnants were not confirmed. We should investigate the oncological significance and advancements in subsegmentectomy and cone unit resection, in the future.