Laparoscopic resection of two liver hemangiomata

New laparoscopic instrumentation coupled with standard surgical techniques allows one to perform procedures previously thought impossible via the laparoscope. This report reviews the natural history, the indications for resection, and the technique of laparoscopic resection of hepatic hemangiomata. Two women, 24 and 62 years of age, were first seen with abdominal pain. A diagnosis of hemangioma was made in each case, and both lesions were removed laparoscopically. Operative blood loss was 200 cc in each case, and neither patient required transfusion. Diets were started on the first postoperative day (POD), and the patients were discharged on the second and fourth PODs without narcotic analgesia. If the size and location of the tumor are favorable, laparoscopic resection of liver hemangiomata can be performed safely. Blood loss comparable to that of open procedures and a quicker recovery support an endosurgical approach to resection of liver hemangiomata in selected cases.