Meta-analysis of minimally invasive vs open hepatectomy in patients with obesity and liver tumors

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the comparative effectiveness of minimally invasive hepatectomy (MIH) versus open hepatectomy (OH) for patients with obesity and liver tumors. The analysis included 1,713 patients across the included studies. The authors synthesized data on secondary outcomes including operative time, blood loss, blood transfusion rate, tumor size, overall and major postoperative complications, biliary leakage, liver failure, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Primary outcomes were not reported in the source document.

Regarding operative metrics, MIH was associated with a shorter operative time, with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of -54.50 minutes (95% CI = -96.28 to -12.72, P = 0.01). Additionally, MIH was associated with reduced blood loss, showing a WMD of -416.80 mL (95% CI = -579.84 to -253.76, P = 0.01). The source did not provide absolute numbers for these specific outcomes.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the source. The authors did not report discontinuations or serious adverse events. Limitations acknowledged by the authors were not reported. The study phase was not reported. The setting of the included studies was not reported. Follow-up duration was not reported. Causality notes were not provided. The certainty of the evidence was not explicitly graded in the source. Practice relevance was not explicitly stated by the authors. The study type is a meta-analysis, not a primary trial.