Liver surgery in Denmark
Burcharth, F.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 171(17): 1363
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 19413928 Document Number: 631333
We evaluated the organisation, management and outcome for patients undergoing elective liver resection in Denmark in the period 2002-2007. Nationwide data based on the National Patient Registry and discharge information from hospital departments in the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2007 were analysed. Twenty-three departments performed 818 resections with five departments performing 96% and 18 departments performing 4% of the operations. The amount of non-anatomical resections constituted 30% (248 of 818) of the resections. The median postoperative stay was nine days, and the hospital mortality rate was 3.9%, distributed between 2.4% for non-anatomical resections, 2.9% for segmental resections and 5.2% for right-sided hepatectomy. The number of treated patients was too small as was the number referred to highly specialised liver surgery units. Moreover, the amount of non-anatomical resections was too high as was the average postoperative stay and the hospital mortality rate. In future, we propose that liver resections be centralised in 2-3 hospitals each capable of providing all the following services: surgery, hepatology, oncology and interventional radiology.