Impact of fresh frozen plasma on hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the effect of transfusing fresh frozen plasma on the outcome after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Among 410 patients who underwent curative resection between 1992 and 2005, 180 patients had perioperative transfusion with whole blood or packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma (group A), while 46 patients were only transfused with packed red cells (group B), 43 patients were only transfused with fresh frozen plasma (group C) and 141 patients had no transfusion (group D). RESULTS Group C had significantly fewer postoperative complications and a shorter hospital stay than group A. Preoperative coagulation was significantly worse in group C. Survival was significantly better in groups C and D than in group A. CONCLUSION Perioperative transfusion of fresh frozen plasma improves clotting factors without an adverse influence on the survival of patients with liver dysfunction undergoing resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.