HEPATIC RESECTION WITH RETROHEPATIC VENA- CAVA REPLACEMENT

An extended right lobectomy with complete resection of the caudate lob e and the retrohepatic vena cava for the treatment of involving primar y malignancy of the liver was performed in two 63- and 66-year-old mal e patients. Vena cava replacement was secured by a 20 mm inner diamete r externally stented polytetrafluoroethylene graft. No postoperative c omplication was observed, and both patients were alive with patent gra ft and no sign of recurrence, 20 and 2 months after the operation resp ectively. Seventeen cases of combined hepatic resection and vena cava replacement have been reported. The review of the literature showed th at: these challenging hepatectomies have benefited from liver transpla ntation techniques; patency of prosthetic vena cava replacement is cor rect; and prolonged survival can by obtained by such extended hepatic resection.