Reductions in post‐hepatectomy liver failure and related mortality after implementation of the LiMAx algorithm in preoperative work‐up: a single‐centre analysis of 1170 hepatectomies of one or more segments

ObjectivesPost‐hepatectomy liver failure has a major impact on patient outcome. This study aims to explore the impact of the integration of a novel patient‐centred evaluation, the LiMAx algorithm, on perioperative patient outcome after hepatectomy.MethodsTrends in perioperative variables and morbidity and mortality rates in 1170 consecutive patients undergoing elective hepatectomy between January 2006 and December 2011 were analysed retrospectively. Propensity score matching was used to compare the effects on morbidity and mortality of the integration of the LiMAx algorithm into clinical practice.ResultsOver the study period, the proportion of complex hepatectomies increased from 29.1% in 2006 to 37.7% in 2011 (P= 0.034). Similarly, the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis selected for hepatic surgery rose from 6.9% in 2006 to 11.3% in 2011 (P= 0.039). Despite these increases, rates of post‐hepatectomy liver failure fell from 24.7% in 2006 to 9.0% in 2011 (P< 0.001) and liver failure‐related postoperative mortality decreased from 4.0% in 2006 to 0.9% in 2011 (P= 0.014). Propensity score matching was associated with reduced rates of post‐hepatectomy liver failure [24.7% (n = 77) versus 11.2% (n = 35); P< 0.001] and related mortality [3.8% (n = 12) versus 1.0% (n = 3); P= 0.035].ConclusionsPostoperative liver failure and postoperative liver failure‐related mortality decreased in patients undergoing hepatectomy following the implementation of the LiMAx algorithm.