Laparoscopic surgery led to a substantial reduction in functional recovery time and postoperative hospital stay compared with open surgery in patients undergoing parenchyma-preserving resection of lesions in posterosuperior liver segments.

"This study demonstrates that the laparoscopic approach can be considered a valid alternative for these complex resections in centers that have gained sufficient experience in laparoscopic hemi hepatectomy and resections in the anterolateral segments of the liver," the authors wrote.

The study, led by Jasper P. Sijberden, MD, PhD, and Christoph Kuemmerli, MD, from the Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Brescia, Italy, was published online in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe.

This trial lacked a uniform perioperative protocol across all the centers due to its pragmatic nature. Although the participating surgeons had substantial experience in both types of liver resections, the potential effect of the learning curve could not be excluded. Additionally, potential bias might have been introduced because the operating theatre staff were not blinded to the surgical approach.

This trial received funding from Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson), Cancer Research United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health and Care Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, and the Maastricht University Medical Centre+. The authors declared having no competing financial interests relevant to this study. Two authors reported receiving grants, consulting fees, speaker honoraria, and travel support and having other ties with several healthcare and pharmaceutical companies outside the submitted work.