A prospective randomized controlled trial to compare pringle manoeuvre with hemi-hepatic vascular inflow occlusion in liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: The duration of hepatic vascular inflow occlusion and the amount of intraoperative blood loss have significant negative impacts on postoperative morbidity, mortality and long-term survival outcomes of patients who receive partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with cirrhosis. AIM: This study aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes of partial hepatectomy for HCC superimposed on hepatitis B-related cirrhosis using two different occlusion techniques. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was carried out to evaluate the impact of two different vascular inflow occlusion techniques. The postoperative short-term results were compared. RESULTS: During the study period, 252 patients received partial hepatectomy for HCC with cirrhosis. Of these patients, 120 were randomized equally into two groups: the Pringle manoeuvre group (n = 60) and the hemi-hepatic vascular inflow occlusion group (n = 60). The number of patients who had poor liver function on postoperative day 5 with ISLGS grade B or worse was 24 and 13, respectively (P = 0.030). The postoperative complication rate was significantly higher in the Pringle manoeuvre group (40 versus 22 %, P = 0.030). However, the Pringle manoeuvre group had significantly shorter operating time (116 versus 136 min, P = 0.012) although there was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss between the two groups [200 ml (range 10-5,000 ml) versus 300 ml (range 100-1,000 ml); P = 0.511]. There was no perioperative mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that for patients with HCC with cirrhosis, hemi-hepatic vascular inflow occlusion was a better inflow occlusion method than Pringle manoeuvre.