Table 3 Comparison of surgical variables and outcome between laparoscopic stapleless left lateral sectionectomy (LH) and open left lateral sectionectomy (OH) for hepatocellular carcinoma

Categorical variables

LH group ^a

(n = 18)

OH group

(n = 75)

p value

 Inflow control (Yes (%))

5 (27.8)

44 (63.8)

0.008

 Blood transfusion (Yes(%))

3 (16.7)

1 (1.4)

0.023

 Complications (Yes (%))

6 (33.3)

22 (29.3)

0.778

 Major complications ^b (Yes (%))

0 (0)

9 (12)

0.198

 Thirty-day mortality (Yes (%))

0 (0)

0 (0)

N.A.

 In-hospital mortality (Yes (%))

0 (0)

1 (1.3)

1.000

 Early recurrence ^c(Yes (%))

3 (16.7)

30 (40.0)

0.098

Continuous variables ^d

LH group ^a

(n = 18)

OH group

(n = 75)

p value

 Operative duration (minutes)

287.0 ± 28.91

221.4 ± 8.00

0.041

 Blood loss (ml)

217.2 ± 45.00

239.8 ± 40.58

0.794

 Duration of inflow control ^e (minutes)

85.6 ± 8.04

35.0 ± 3.16

< 0.001

 Duration of parenchymal transection (minutes)

96.7 ± 15.98

53.8 ± 3.80

0.018

 Post-OP hospital stay (days) (range)

8.44 ± 0.54 (5–15)

9.7 ± 0.50 (6–29)

0.238