Laparoscopic surgical management of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with diaphragmatic involvement

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy of the digestive system with high morbidity and high mortality worldwide. Currently, surgical resection is considered the most effective treatment for HCC. Laparoscopic surgery is a major trend in contemporary minimally invasive surgery. However, is laparoscopic resection suitable for HCC patients with diaphragmatic involvement? If so, then what is the preferred resection method, and how safe and effective is this treatment? Are there any factors that require special attention? Methods Clinical data of 17 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University) from January 2018 to February 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Results The mean age was 48.9 ± 14.0 years; mean operation time, 186.00 ± 18.3 min; median blood loss, 170.0 ml (140.8–207.5 ml); and median length of hospital stay, 8.0 days (7.0–9.5 days). There was no case of open conversion. Pathologic findings revealed all cases of HCC. Intraoperative frozen pathology and postoperative pathology showed free surgical margins. Six patients had pathologically confirmed diaphragmatic invasion (DI), and eleven was confirmed as having diaphragmatic fibrous adhesion (DFA) only. Post-operative complications included liver section effusion, pleural effusion, pneumonia and bile leak. All the complications responded well to conservative treatment. No other abnormality was noted during outpatient follow-up examination. Sixteen patients survived tumor-free; one patient with HCC developed intrahepatic metastasis 1 year after surgery, and this patient survived with tumor after treatment. Conclusions Our experience initially provides valuable support for the laparoscopic surgical treatment of HCC patients with diaphragmatic involvement.