Changes in the etiology of liver cirrhosis and the corresponding management strategies

We read with interest the article by Xing Wang,which was published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Hepatology 2023;15:1294-1306.This article focuses particularly on the prevalence and trends in the etiology of liver cirrhosis(LC),prognosis for patients suffering from cirrhosis-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and management strategies.The etiology of cirrhosis varies according to geographical,economic,and population factors.Viral hepatitis is the dominant cause in China.Vaccination and effective treatment have reduced the number of people with viral hepatitis,but the overall number is still large.Patients with viral hepatitis who progress over time to LC and HCC remain an important population to manage.The increased incidence of metabolic syndrome and alcohol consumption is likely to lead to a potential exponential increase in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD)-associated LC and alcoholic liver disease in the future.Investigating the evolution of the etiology of LC is important for guiding the direction of future research and policy development.These changing trends indicate a need for greater emphasis on tackling obesity and diabetes,and implementing more effective measures to regulate alcohol consumption in order to reduce the occurrence of MASLD.In an effort to help cope with these changing trends,the authors further proposed countermeasures for healthcare authorities doctors,and patients.

Etiology and functional status of liver cirrhosis by ^(31)P MR spectroscopy

AIM: To assess the functional status and etiology of liver cirrhosis by quantitative 31p magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).METHODS: A total of 80 patients with liver cirrhosis of different etiology and functional status described by Child-Pugh score were examined and compared to 11 healthy volunteers. MR examination was performed on a 1.5 T imager using a 1H/31P surface coil by the 2D chemical shift imaging technique.Absolute concentrations of phosphomonoesters (PME),phosphodiesters (PDE), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were measured.RESULTS: MRS changes reflected the degree of liver dysfunction in all the patients as well as in individual etiological groups. The most important change was a decrease of PDE. It was possible to distinguish alcoholic,viral and cholestatic etiologies based on MR spectra.Alcoholic and viral etiology differed in PDE (alcoholic,viral, controls: 6.5±2.3, 6.5±3.1, 10.8±2.7 mmol/L,P＜0.001) and ATP (alcoholic, viral, controls: 2.9±0.8, 2.8±0.9, 3.7±1.0 mmol/L, P＜0.01) from the control group.Unlike viral etiology, patients with alcoholic etiology also differed in Pi (alcoholic, controls: 1.2±0.4, 1.6±0.6mmol/L, P＜0.05) from controls. No significant changes were found in patients with cholestatic disease and controls; nevertheless, this group differed from both alcoholic and viral groups (cholestatic, alcoholic, viral: 9.4±2.7, 6.5±2.3, 6.5±3.1 mmol/L, P＜0.005) in PDE.CONCLUSION: 31p MRS can significantly help in noninvasive separation of different etiological groups leading to liver cirrhosis. In addition, MRS changes reflect functional liver injury.

Study of liver cirrhosis over twenty consecutive years in adults in Southern China

BACKGROUND Liver cirrhosis(LC)is a prevalent and severe disease in China.The burden of LC is changing with widespread vaccination of hepatitis B virus(HBV)and antiviral therapy.However,the recent transition in etiologies and clinical features of LC cases requiring hospitalization is unclear.AIM To identify the transition in etiologies and clinical characteristics of hospitalized LC patients in Southern China.METHODS In this retrospective,cross-sectional study we included LC inpatients admitted between January 2001 and December 2020.Medical data indicating etiological diagnosis and LC complications,and demographic,laboratory,and imaging data were collected from our hospital-based dataset.The etiologies of LC were mainly determined according to the discharge diagnosis,and upper gastrointestinal bleeding,ascites,hepatic encephalopathy,spontaneous bacterial peritonitis,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),portal vein thrombosis,hepatorenal syndrome,and acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF)were considered LC-related complications in our study.Changing trends in the etiologies and clinical characteristics were investigated using logistic regression,and temporal trends in proportions of separated years were investigated using the Cochran-Armitage test.In-hospital prognosis and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality were also invest igated.RESULTS A total of 33143 patients were included in the study[mean(SD)age,51.7(11.9)years],and 82.2%were males.The mean age of the study population increased from 51.0 years in 2001-2010 to 52.0 years in 2011-2020(P<0.001),and the proportion of female patients increased from 16.7%in 2001-2010 to 18.2%in 2011-2020(P=0.003).LC patients in the decompensated stage at diagnosis decreased from 68.1%in 2001-2010 to 64.6%in 2011-2020(P<0.001),and the median score of model for end-stage liver disease also decreased from 14.0 to 11.0(P<0.001).HBV remained the major etiology of LC(75.0%)and the dominant cause of viral hepatitis-LC(94.5%)during the study period.However,the proportion of HBV-LC decreased from 82.4%in 2001-2005 to 74.2%in 2016-2020,and the proportion of viral hepatitis-LC decreased from 85.2%in 2001-2005 to 78.1%in 2016-2020(both P for trend<0.001).Meanwhile,the proportions of LC caused by alcoholic liver disease,autoimmune hepatitis and mixed etiology increased by 2.5%,0.8%and 4.5%,respectively(all P for trend<0.001).In-hospital mortality was stable at 1.0%in 2011-2020,whereas HCC and ACLF manifested the highest increases in prevalence among all LC complications(35.8%to 41.0%and 5.7%to 12.4%,respectively)and were associated with 6-fold and 4-fold increased risks of mortality(odds ratios:6.03 and 4.22,respectively).CONCLUSION LC inpatients have experienced changes in age distribution and etiologies of cirrhosis over the last 20 years in Southern China.HCC and ACLF are associated with the highest risk of in-hospital mortality among LC complications.

Cardiac surgery in patients with liver cirrhosis:Risk factors for predicting mortality

AIM:To evaluate the results of cardiac surgery in cirrhotic patients and to find the predictors of early and late mortality.METHODS:We included 55 consecutive cirrhotic patients undergoing cardiac surgery between 1993 and2012.Child-Turcotte-Pugh(Child)classification and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD)score were used to assess the severity of liver cirrhosis.The online EuroSCORE II calculator was used to calculate the logistic EuroSCORE in each patient.Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for mortality at different times after surgery.Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the hazard ratios(HR)of predictors for mortality.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate survival curves,and the survival rates between groups were compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS:There were 30 patients in Child class A,20in Child B,and five in Child C.The hospital mortality rate was 16.4%.The actuarial survival rates were 70%,64%,56%,and 44%at 1,2,3,and 5 years after surgery,respectively.There were no significant differences in major postoperative complications,and early and late mortality between patients with mild and advanced cirrhosis.Multivariate logistic regression showed preoperative serum bilirubin,the EuroSCORE and coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG)were associated with early and late mortality;however,Child class and MELD score were not.Cox regression analysis identified male gender(HR=0.319;P=0.009),preoperative serum bilirubin(HR=1.244;P=0.044),the EuroSCORE(HR=1.415;P=0.001),and CABG(HR=3.344;P=0.01)as independent risk factors for overall mortality.CONCLUSION:Advanced liver cirrhosis should not preclude patients from cardiac surgery.Preoperative serum bilirubin,the EuroSCORE,and CABG are major predictors of early and late mortality.

Outcomes of abdominal surgery in patients with liver cirrhosis

Patients suffering from liver cirrhosis(LC) frequently require non-hepatic abdominal surgery,even before liver transplantation.LC is an important risk factor itself for surgery,due to the higher than average associated morbidity and mortality.This high surgical risk occurs because of the pathophysiology of liver disease itself and to the presence of contributing factors,such as coagulopathy,poor nutritional status,adaptive immune dysfunction,cirrhotic cardiomyopathy,and renal and pulmonary dysfunction,which all lead to poor outcomes.Careful evaluation of these factors and the degree of liver disease can help to reduce the development of complications both during and after abdominal surgery.In the emergency setting,with the presence of decompensated LC,alcoholic hepatitis,severe/advanced LC,and significant extrahepatic organ dysfunction conservative management is preferred.A multidisciplinary,individualized,and specialized approach can improve outcomes;preoperative optimization after risk stratification and careful management are mandatory before surgery.Laparoscopic techniques can also improve outcomes.We review the impact of LC on surgical outcome in non-hepatic abdominal surgeries required in this cirrhotic population before,during,and after surgery.

Liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cells: Etiology, pathological hallmarks and therapeutic targets

Liver fibrosis is a reversible wound-healing process aimed at maintaining organ integrity, and presents as the critical pre-stage of liver cirrhosis, which will eventually progress to hepatocellular carcinoma in the absence of liver transplantation. Fibrosis generally results from chronic hepatic injury caused by various factors, mainly viral infection, schistosomiasis, and alcoholism; however, the exact pathological mechanisms are still unknown. Although numerous drugs have been shown to have antifibrotic activity in vitro and in animal models, none of these drugs have been shown to be efficacious in the clinic. Importantly, hepatic stellate cells(HSCs) play a key role in the initiation, progression, and regression of liver fibrosis by secreting fibrogenic factors that encourage portal fibrocytes, fibroblasts, and bone marrow-derived myofibroblasts to produce collagen and thereby propagate fibrosis. These cells are subject to intricate cross-talk with adjacent cells, resulting in scarring and subsequent liver damage. Thus, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis and their relationships with HSCs is essential for the discovery of new therapeutic targets. This comprehensive review outlines the role of HSCs in liver fibrosis and details novel strategies to suppress HSC activity, thereby providing new insights into potential treatments for liver fibrosis.

Study of liver cirrhosis over ten consecutive years in Southern China

AIM: To investigate the etiology and complications of liver cirrhosis (LC) in Southern China.

Acute kidney injury in acute-on-chronic liver failure is different from in decompensated cirrhosis

AIM To evaluate the differences in acute kidney injury(AKI) between acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF) and decompensated cirrhosis(DC) patients. METHODS During the period from December 2015 to July 2017, 280 patients with hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related ACLF(HBV-ACLF) and 132 patients with HBV-related DC(HBV-DC) who were admitted to our center were recruited consecutively into an observational study. Urine specimens were collected from all subjects and the levels of five urinary tubular injury biomarkers were detected,including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL), interleukin-18(IL-18), liver-type fatty acid binding protein(L-FABP), cystatin C(CysC), and kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1). Simultaneously, the patient demographics, occurrence and progression of AKI, and response to terlipressin therapy were recorded. All patients were followed up for 3 mo or until death after enrollment. RESULTS AKI occurred in 71 and 28 of HBV-ACLF and HBV-DC patients, respectively(25.4% vs 21.2%, P = 0.358). Among all patients, the levels of four urinary biomarkers(NGAL, CysC, L-FABP, IL-18) were significantly elevated in patients with HBV-ACLF and AKI(ACLF-AKI), compared with that in patients with HBV-DC and AKI(DC-AKI) or those without AKI. There was a higher proportion of patients with AKI progression in ACLF-AKI patients than in DC-AKI patients(49.3% vs 17.9%, P = 0.013). Fortythree patients with ACLF-AKI and 19 patients with DC-AKI were treated with terlipressin. The response rate of ACLFAKI patients was significantly lower than that of patients with DC-AKI(32.6% vs 57.9%, P = 0.018). Furthermore, patients with ACLF-AKI had the lowest 90 d survival rates among all groups(P < 0.001).CONCLUSION AKI in ACLF patients is more likely associated with structural kidney injury, and is more progressive, with a poorer response to terlipressin treatment and a worse prognosis than that in DC patients.

Considerations for bariatric surgery in patients with cirrhosis

With the ever increasing global obesity pandemic, clinical burden from obesity related complications are anticipated in parallel. Bariatric surgery, a treatment approved for weight loss in morbidly obese patients, has reported to be associated with good outcomes, such as reversal of type two diabetes mellitus and reducing all-cause mortality on a long term basis. However, complications from bariatric surgery have similarly been reported. In particular, with the onslaught of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) epidemic, in associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, there is increasing prevalence of NAFLD related liver cirrhosis, which potentially connotes more risk of specific complications for surgery. Bariatric surgeons may encounter, either expectedly or unexpectedly, patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) and NASH related cirrhosis more frequently. As such, the issues and considerations surrounding their medical care/surgery warrant careful deliberation to ensure the best outcomes. These considerations include severity of cirrhosis, liver synthetic function, portal hypertension and the impact of surgical factors. This review explores these considerations comprehensively and emphasizes the best approach to managing cirrhotic patients in the context of bariatric surgery.

Outcomes of patients with cirrhosis undergoing non-hepatic surgery:Risk assessment and management

The reported mortality rates in patients with cirrhosis undergoing various non-transplant surgical procedures range from 8.3% to 25%. This wide range of mortality rates is related to severity of liver disease, type of surgery, demographics of patient population, expertise of the surgical, anesthesia and intensive care unit team and finally, reporting bias. In this article, we will review the pathophysiology, morbidity and mortality associated with non-hepatic surgery in patients with cirrhosis, and then recommend an algorithm for risk assessment and evidence based management strategy to optimize post-surgical outcomes.

Influence of cirrhosis in cardiac surgery outcomes

Liver cirrhosis has evolved an important risk factor for cardiac surgery due to the higher morbidity and mortality that these patients may suffer compared with general cardiac surgery population.The presence of contributing factors for a poor outcome,such as coagulopathy,a poor nutritional status,an adaptive immune dysfunction,a degree of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy,and a degree of renal and pulmonary dysfunction,have to be taken into account for surgical evaluation when cardiac surgery is needed,together with the degree of liver disease and its primary complications.The associated pathophysiological characteristics that liver cirrhosis represents have a great influence in the development of complications during cardiac surgery and the postoperative course.Despite the population of cirrhotic patients who are referred for cardiac surgery is small and recommendations come from small series,since liver cirrhotic patients have increased their chance of survival in the last 20 years due to the advances in their medical care,which includes liver transplantation,they have been increasingly considered for cardiac surgery.Indeed,there is an expected rise of cirrhotic patients within the cardiac surgical population due to the increasing rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis,especially in western countries.In consequence,a more specific approach is needed in the assessment of care of these patients if we want to improve their management.In this article,we review the pathophysiology and outcome prediction of cirrhotic patients who underwent cardiac surgery.

Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma on cirrhosis: Is it necessary?

AIM: To assess the safety and effectiveness of prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a large population of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on cirrhosis.METHODS: Two hundred and twenty nine consecutive cirrhotic patients with HCC who underwent hepatic resection were retrospectively evaluated to assess whether there was any difference in the incidence of thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications between those who received and those who did not receive prophylaxis with low-molecular weight heparin.Differences and possible effects of the following parameters were investigated: age,sex,Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score,platelet count,presence of esophageal varices,type of hepatic resection,duration of surgery,intraoperative transfusion of blood and fresh frozen plasma (FFP),body mass index,diabetes and previous cardiovascular disease.RESULTS: One hundred and fifty seven of 229 (68.5%) patients received antithromboembolic prophylaxis (group A) while the remaining 72 (31.5%) patients did not (group B).Patients in group B had higher Child-Pugh and MELD scores,lower platelet counts,a higher prevalence of esophageal varices and higher requirements for intraoperative transfusion of FFP.The incidence of VTE and postoperative hemorrhage was 0.63% and 3.18% in group A and 1.38% and 1.38% in group B,respectively;these differences were not significant.None of the variables analyzed including prophylaxis proved to be risk factors for VTE,and only the presence of esophageal varices was associated with an increased risk of bleeding.CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis is safe in cirrhotic patients without esophageal varices;the real need for prophylaxis should be better assessed.

Restrictive model of compensated carbon tetrachloride-induced cirrhosis in rats

AIM： To develop a simplified and quick protocol to induce cirrhosis and standardize models of partial liver resection in rats. METHODS： In Fischer F344 rats two modified protocols of phenobarbital-carbon tetrachloride （CCl4） （dilution 50%） gavage to induce cirrhosis （frequency adjusted according to weight, but each subsequent dose was systematically administered） were tested, i.e. the rapid and slow protocols. Prothrombin time （PT） and total bilirubin （TB） were also evaluated. Animals from the rapid group underwent 15% hepatectomy and animals from the slow group underwent 70% hepatectomy. RESULTS： Rapid protocol： This corresponded to 1 gavage/4 d over 6 wk （mortality 30%）. Mean PT was 35.2 ±2.8 s （normal： ld.5 s）, and mean TB was 1.8 ± 0.2 mg/dL （normal： 0.1 mg/dL）. Slow protocol： This cop responded to 1 gavage/6 d over 9 wk （mortality 10%）. Mean PT was 11.8 ± 0.2 s （normal： 14.5 s）, and mean TB was 0.4 ± 0.04 mg/dL （normal： 0.1 mg/dL）. Pathological analyses were performed in both protocols which showed persistent cirrhosis at 3 mo. Rat mortality in the rapid garage group who underwent 15% hepatectomy and in the slow garage group who underwent 70% hepatectomy was 50% and 70%, respectively, CONCLUSION： Our modified model is a simplified method to induce cirrhosis which is rapid （6 to 9 wk）, efficient and stable up to 3 mo. Using this method, ＂Child Pugh A＂ or ＂Child Pugh BC＂ cirrhotic rats were obtained. Our models of cirrhosis and hepatectomy can be used in various situations focusing on postoperative survival.

Cirrhotic Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Why Not to Develop a More Specific Heart-Liver Score?

Despite not included in the traditional risk scores before surgery, liver cirrhosis, especially in advanced stages, has always influenced strongly final outcome both on short and midterm in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Growing incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease interlinked with metabolic syndrome and significant advancements in medical therapy have actually increased the likelihood of cardiac surgery in cirrhotic patients. To date, Child-Pugh and MELD scores have been commonly used to predict mortality and postoperative hepatic decompensation, but on the other hand, both traditional risk scores show some limitations for evaluation of hepatopathic patients undergoing specifically cardiac surgery. In this context, a specific Heart-Liver score hasn’t been developed yet in the attempt to outline a patient profile able to face surgery, therefore addressing us to adopt the best strategy possible for each case. If CP class A or low MELD score (<11) patients tolerate cardiac surgery with a mild increase in mortality and morbidity, currently state of art recommends particular caution towards surgery idea in presence of advanced hepatic disease. As far as cardiac surgery represents the unique therapeutic strategy in several life-threatening cases, anyway surgical correction of cardiac pathology won’t guarantee an increased life expectancy in accordance with the persistent liver dysfunction. Hereby, this paper will focus on preoperative parameters that should be considered in the future realization of a Heart-Liver prognostic score for overcoming limitations and difficulties related to the impact of liver disease on final clinical outcome.

肝硬化临床研究进展

多种慢性肝病均可导致肝纤维化和假小叶形成,导致肝硬化(liver cirrhosis,LC),成为沉重的疾病负担。全球约有1.23亿LC患者^([1,2]),我国有700万LC及数亿LC高危人群,包括约2.7亿非酒精性脂肪性肝病(non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,NAFLD)、6500万慢性HBV感染.

两中心肝硬化住院患者病因构成和并发症分布研究

目的本研究旨在探讨北京大学第一医院(甲中心)和贵州省人民医院感染病科(乙中心)近年来肝硬化住院患者的病因和并发症构成比的差异。方法2018年1月~2020年12月甲中心收治的肝硬化患者1813例,乙中心388例。剔除病例后,纳入甲中心700例和乙中心340例,甲中心乙型肝炎肝硬化患者252例,乙中心为137例。结果两中心肝硬化病因仍以乙型肝炎、丙型肝炎、酒精性肝病(ALD)、原发性胆汁性肝硬化和自身免疫性肝炎为主,药物性肝损伤、遗传代谢性肝病和隐源性较少,乙中心患者ALD占比为23.2%,乙型肝炎合并ALD占比为17.7%,显著高于甲中心(分别为13.0%和4.1%,P<0.05);甲中心肝细胞癌发生率为27.0%,显著高于乙中心的14.1%(P<0.05),而乙中心患者食管胃底静脉曲张、腹水、感染和肝功能Child C级发生率分别为61.5%、80.6%、50.9%和52.1%,显著高于甲中心的43.4%、39.3%、17.4%和14.1%(P<0.05)。结论我国肝硬化的病因仍为HBV感染为主,但不同地区可能存在些许差异,有些地区患者肝功能状态可能更差,严重并发症更多,需及时予以处理。

内镜下硬化剂和组织胶注射联合套扎术治疗直肠异位静脉曲张破裂出血的临床效果

目的探讨内镜下硬化剂和组织胶注射联合套扎术治疗直肠异位静脉曲张(EV)破裂出血的临床效果。方法回顾性分析2017年1月-2022年1月在该院消化内科接受内镜治疗的60例直肠EV破裂出血患者的临床资料,根据手术方式不同,将患者分为两组。其中,对照组30例,采用内镜下套扎术治疗;观察组30例,采用内镜下硬化剂和组织胶注射联合套扎术治疗。术后1、3、6和12个月进行随访,比较两组患者手术止血成功率、术后并发症发生率、死亡率、术后曲张静脉直径改善情况和术后有效率。结果观察组手术止血成功率为93.3%,明显高于对照组的66.7%,观察组腹痛和发热发生率分别为10.0%和10.0%,明显低于对照组的33.3%和36.7%,观察组死亡率为6.7%(2/30),明显低于对照组的30.0%(9/30),观察组术前曲张静脉直径为(1.60±0.36)cm,术后直径不断缩小,术后12个月直径为(0.78±0.31)cm,对照组术前曲张静脉直径为(1.52±0.26)cm,术后直径不断增加,术后12个月直径为(1.55±0.36)cm,观察组术后曲张静脉直径改善情况明显优于对照组,观察组术后治疗有效率明显高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论内镜下硬化剂和组织胶注射联合套扎术治疗直肠EV破裂出血,手术止血成功率和治疗有效率更高,且术后并发症更少,死亡率更低,临床疗效满意,值得临床推广应用。

Management of decompensated liver cirrhosis in the surgical intensive care unit

Liver cirrhosis is the end-stage of chronic progressive liver diseases(1).The most common causes of cirrhosis worldwide include alcohol-related liver disease,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,hepatitis B,hepatitis C,autoimmune liver diseases(e.g.,autoimmune hepatitis),cholestatic liver diseases(e.g.,primary biliary cholangitis,primary sclerosing cholangitis),hemochromatosis or Wilsons’disease(1).

Laparoscopic liver resection:Experience based guidelines

Laparoscopic liver resection(LLR) has been progressively developed along the past two decades. Despite initial skepticism, improved operative results made laparoscopic approach incorporated to surgical practice and operations increased in frequency and complexity. Evidence supporting LLR comes from case-series, comparative studies and meta-analysis. Despite lack of level 1 evidence, the body of literature is stronger and existing data confirms the safety, feasibility and benefits of laparoscopic approach when compared to open resection. Indications for LLR do not differ from those for open surgery. They include benign and malignant(both primary and metastatic) tumors and living donor liver harvesting. Currently, resection of lesions located on anterolateral segments and left lateral sectionectomy are performed systematically by laparoscopy in hepatobiliary specialized centers. Resection of lesions located on posterosuperior segments(1, 4a, 7, 8) and major liver resections were shown to be feasible but remain technically demanding procedures, which should be reserved to experienced surgeons. Hand-assisted and laparoscopy-assisted procedures appeared to increase the indications of minimally invasive liver surgery and are useful strategies applied to difficult and major resections. LLR proved to be safe for malignant lesions and offers some short-term advantages over open resection. Oncological results including resection margin status and long-term survival were not inferior to open resection. At present, surgical community expects high quality studies to base the already perceived better outcomes achieved by laparoscopy in major centers' practice. Continuous surgical training, as well as new technologies should augment the application of lap-aroscopic liver surgery. Future applicability of new technologies such as robot assistance and image-guided surgery is still under investigation.