Table 6 Comparison of surgical variables and outcome between laparoscopic stapleless left lateral sectionectomy (LH) and open left lateral sectionectomy (OH) for hepatocellular carcinoma less than 5 cm

Categorical variables

LH group ^a

(n = 16)

OH group

(n = 49)

p value

 Inflow control (Yes (%))

5 (31.3)

27 (57.4)

0.088

 Blood transfusion (Yes(%))

2 (12.5)

1 (2.0)

0.147

 Complications (Yes (%))

5 (31.3)

13 (26.5)

0.753

 Major complications ^b (Yes (%))

0 (0)

2 (4.1)

1.000

 Thirty-day mortality (Yes (%))

0 (0)

0 (0)

N.A.

 In-hospital mortality (Yes (%))

0 (0)

0 (0)

N.A.

 Early recurrence ^c(Yes (%))

3 (18.8)

16 (32.7)

0.357

Continuous variables ^d

LH group ^a

(n = 16)

OH group

(n = 49)

p value

 Operative duration (minutes)

267.1 ± 23.96

219.1 ± 10.04

0.079

 Blood loss (ml)

216.3 ± 50.33

172.5 ± 26.47

0.449

 Duration of inflow control ^e (minutes)

85.6 ± 8.04

32.8 ± 3.51

< 0.001

 Duration of parenchymal transection (minutes)

80.5 ± 9.30

50.5 ± 4.20

0.001

 Post-OP hospital stay (days) (range)

8.4 ± 0.63 (5–15)

9.1 ± 0.54 (6–29)

0.474