Laparoscopically treated liver hydatid cysts.

HYPOTHESIS Laparoscopy is effective and reliable in treating hepatic hydatid disease. DESIGN Case series of patients with hepatic hydatid disease who underwent laparoscopic treatment within 7 years. SETTING Department of General Surgery, Cerrahpasa Medical School, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey. PATIENTS Forty-eight patients with hydatid disease who met our criteria for laparoscopic surgery and were aged 17 years or older. INTERVENTIONS Cystotomy and partial cystectomy with drainage were performed in 33 patients. Omentoplasty was simultaneously performed in 15 patients to obliterate the cystic cavity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinicopathologic features, morbidity, mortality, operative time, length of hospital stay, conversion to laparotomy, and recurrences were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS The mean operative time was 82 minutes (range, 45-170 minutes). The conversion rate to open surgery was 4%. The mean postoperative length of hospital stay was 4.2 days. Morbidity was 6% (3 patients). There was no mortality. The mean follow-up was 34.2 months. No recurrences were observed during this period. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic hepatic hydatid surgery is a safe and effective method in selected patients. Further studies should be encouraged in this field because there is no universally accepted standard technique.