Effect of preoperative platelet count on liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Badawy, Mohammad T.; Abdelsalam, Osama H.; Khatan, Ahmed M.; Marwan, Ibrahim K.; El-Deen, Essam M.S.

doi:10.4103/ejs.ejs_105_22

Effect of preoperative platelet count on liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Authors

Abstract

Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common cancer, and liver resection is one of the surgical choices for management, but it is associated with morbidity and mortality. Many methods are used as predictors for safety of operation. Preoperative platelet count may be used to evaluate outcomes of liver resection.
Patients and methods
This was a prospective study on 75 patients who were divided into two groups: group A included 25 patients with preoperative low platelet count (<100 × 10/mm), and group B included 50 patients with normal preoperative platelet count (≥100 × 10/mm).
Results
In group A, the median postoperative ICU stay was 2 days, with a range of 1.0–12.0, and it was significantly longer than that of group B, which was 1 day, with a range of 1.0–14.0. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding operative and early postoperative outcomes.
Conclusion
Performing minor liver resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with preoperative low platelet count (<100 × 10/mm) in comparison with patients with normal preoperative platelet count (≥100 × 10/mm) is considered safe and is associated with the same operative and short-term postoperative outcomes, except for only increased postoperative ICU stay, with the same overall postoperative morbidity and mortality.

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