Impact of depth of body cavity at the upper-right portion of the abdomen on open and laparoscopic liver resection of segment 7

Abstract Purpose The impact of body-cavity depth on open (OLR) and laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) of segment 7 remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the influence of body-cavity depth at the upper-right portion of the abdomen on LLR and OLR of segment 7. Methods In total, 101 patients who underwent segment-7 liver resection over 2010–2023 were included. Body-cavity depth was measured from the abdominal-wall surface to the deepest site on the right side of the liver. Patients were categorized into shallow (< 18.4 cm) and deep (≥ 18.4 cm) populations based on median body-cavity depth. We compared surgical outcomes between OLR and LLR in shallow and deep populations after propensity-score adjustments. Results In OLR and LLR groups, 27 and 22 patients in the shallow population, respectively, and 26 and 26 patients were included in the deep population, respectively, were included. The OLR group in the deep population had significantly greater blood loss than the corresponding LLR group (difference: 144 mL, 95% confidence interval (CI): [50, 238], P = 0.004). Other surgical outcomes, including operative time, were similar between groups. In the shallow population, the OLR group had significantly shorter operative time (difference: − 54 mL, 95% CI: [–101, − 6], P = 0.028) and similar blood loss than the LLR group. Conclusions For segment-7 liver resection, LLR is likely favorable for patients with a deep body cavity, with similar operative time and lower blood loss compared to OLR. Body-cavity depth could be a useful indicator for determining the suitable surgical approach for segment-7 liver resection.