Effects of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging of laparoscopic anatomic liver resection for HCC: a propensity score-matched study

Background Recently, indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has been increasingly used in laparoscopic anatomic liver resection. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ICG-guided laparoscopic anatomic liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with traditional laparoscopic anatomic liver resection. Methods A retrospective study was performed on patients with pathologically diagnosed HCC who successfully underwent laparoscopic anatomical liver resection from January 2019 to December 2021. The outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after the propensity score matching (PSM). Results A total of 110 patients were included in this study, including 50 patients in the ICG-guided group and 60 patients in the traditional group. Compared with the traditional group, the ICG-guided group had a shorter operative duration ( P = 0.040), less intraoperative blood loss ( P = 0.044), a lower incidence of postoperative complications ( P = 0.023), and a shorter postoperative hospitalisation ( P < 0.001). After PSM, significant differences remained between the two groups for the duration of postoperative hospitalisation ( P = 0.018) and postoperative complications ( P = 0.042). There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups before and after PSM. Conclusion Laparoscopic anatomic liver resection guided by ICG fluorescence imaging can reduce the duration of postoperative hospitalisation for patients and the incidence of postoperative complications. However, it has no impact on the long-term outcome of patients.