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Cortes-Cerisuelo et al. Mini-invasive Surg 2019;3:1 Mini-invasive Surgery
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1225.2018.60

Review Open Access

Minimally-invasive liver resection for liver tumors in
children: a snapshot of the current landscape

Miriam Cortes-Cerisuelo , Michael Berger 2
1
1 Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver Studies, Liver Transplant Surgery, King’s College Hospital, National Health Service
Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS, UK.
2 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Laboratories, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-
University, Munich 80337, Germany.
Correspondence to: Dr. Michael Berger, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-
Maximilians-University, Lindwurmstrasse 4, Munich 80337, Germany. E-mail: michael.fabian.berger@gmail.com
How to cite this article: Cortes-Cerisuelo M, Berger M. Minimally-invasive liver resection for liver tumors in children: a
snapshot of the current landscape. Mini-invasive Surg 2019;3:1. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1225.2018.60
Received: 29 Aug 2018 First Decision: 8 Nov 2018 Revised: 28 Nov 2018 Accepted: 11 Dec 2018 Published: 8 Jan 2019

Science Editor: Fernando Andrés Alvarez Copy Editor: Cui Yu Production Editor: Huan-Liang Wu

Abstract
Minimally-invasive liver resection (MILR) is a promising approach and has become a standard therapy option for a
variety of indications, including liver tumors, in adults. Although minimally-invasive techniques are common practices
in children, the usage and literature regarding MILR in children is scarce. In this article, we give an update on the current
literature, share some of our own experience and give a future outlook of the potential benefits and shortcomings
regarding MILR in children.

Keywords: Minimally-invasive liver resection, pediatric cancer, hepatoblastoma, laparoscopy, liver tumor

INTRODUCTION
Minimally-invasive liver resection (MILR) has been successfully integrated as a valuable surgical tool in adult
[1-3]
patients both for cancer resections as well as donor hepatectomies for liver transplantation . Although
minimally-invasive surgical techniques are an essential component in the treatment of pediatric patients
with hepatobiliary disease, literature on MILR hepatic tumors in children is scarce. This understanding is
explained at least partially by the immense rarity of these tumors in the pediatric age group. In order to
better standardize the invasive and complex treatment of hepatic malignancies in children and to obtain
more reliable research data regarding their treatment, corresponding study groups from different parts
of the world have put in place a global interdisciplinary initiative called The Children’s Hepatic Tumors

© The Author(s) 2019. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use,
sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as long
as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license,
and indicate if changes were made.

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