Minimally invasive approaches to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

While the incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is increasing, few patients are surgical candidates, and recurrence rates remain high. Surgical resection remains the only potential curative therapy for ICC, and many retrospective cohorts have demonstrated comparable short-term and long-term outcomes between open, laparoscopic, and robotic liver resection (RLR) for ICC. However, rates of lymphadenectomy remain low amongst all groups, especially in laparoscopic approaches, despite its role in prognostication and therapeutic management. RLR may offer many of the short-term benefits of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) and facilitate adequate lymphadenectomy while also increasing the ability to access posterosuperior segments and perform major hepatectomies.