Vena cava replacement and major hepatectomy for liver tumors: international multicenter retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: Involvement of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and hepatic veins has been considered a relative contraindication to hepatic resection for primary and metastatic liver tumors. However, patients affected by tumors extending to the IVC have limited therapeutic options and suffer worsening of quality of life due to IVC compression. METHODS: Cases of primary and metastatic liver tumors with vena cava infiltration from 10 international centers were collected (7 European, 1 US, 2 Brazilian, 1 Indian) were collected. Inclusion criteria for the study were major liver resection with concomitant vena cava replacement. Clinical data and short-term outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-six cases were finally included in the study. Median tumor max size was 98 mm (range: 25-250). A biliary reconstruction was necessary in 28% of cases, while a vascular reconstruction other than vena cava in 34% of cases. Median operative time was 462 min (range: 230-750), with 750 median ml of estimated blood loss and a median of one pRBC transfused intraoperatively (range: 0-27). Median ICU stay was 4 days (range: 1-30) with overall in-hospital stay of 15 days (range: 3-46), postoperative CCI score of 20.9 (range: 0-100), 12% incidence of PHLF grade B-C. Five patients died in a 90-days interval from surgery, one due to heart failure, one due to septic shock, and three due to multiorgan failure. With a median follow-up of 17 months (interquartile range: 11-37), the estimated 5 years overall survival was 48% (95% CI: 27-66%), and 5-year cumulative incidence of tumor recurrence was 55% (95% CI: 33-73%). CONCLUSIONS: Major liver resections with vena cava replacement can be performed with satisfactory results in expert HPB centers. This surgical strategy represents a feasible alternative for otherwise unresectable lesions and is associated with favorable prognosis compared to nonoperative management, especially in patients affected by intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.