Randomized Controlled Trial of Hepatic Portal Reocclusion as a New Option for Detecting Bile Leakage during Hepatic Resection

Background/Aims: To explore the possibility and feasibility of hepatic portal reocclusion for detecting bile leakage during hepatectomy. Methods: Data were prospectively collected from 200 patients who underwent hepatectomy alone for removal of various benign or malignant tumors between March 2014 and November 2014. The surgical procedure used a conventional method for all patients, and one additional step (hepatic portal reocclusion) was included in group B. The postoperative outcomes of the patients in group A (subjected to the traditional procedure) and group B (subjected to hepatic portal reocclusion) were compared during the same period, and the incidence rates of postoperative bile leakage and other complications in the 2 groups were also analyzed. Results: The incidence of postoperative bile leakage in group B was significantly lower than that in group A (1.0 vs. 9.2%, p = 0.009), although no significant differences in postoperative indicators of liver dysfunction and other complications were observed between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Hepatic portal reocclusion effectively reduced the incidence of bile leakage compared to the traditional procedure, without significantly affecting liver function. Therefore, this method might be an alternative to other tests for bile leakage.