Background: We have done curative or palliative extended extrahepatic bile duct resection at the level of the hilar plate for selected patients with cholangiocarcinoma with hilar spreading, calling this procedure "hilar plate resection" (HPR), but the results of evaluating the clinical benefits of HPR for cholangiocarcinoma with hilar spreading have not been reported.
Patients and methods: Fifty-two patients with cholangiocarcinoma underwent HPR: the curative procedure was performed in 28 patients (cHPR group) and the palliative in 24 patients (pHPR group). In the same period, 128 patients with cholangiocarcinoma underwent major hepatectomy with intrahepatic cholangiojejunostomy (Hx group). These groups were compared in terms of post-operative complications and survival.
Results: There were no significant differences in the rate of patients with post-operative complications and in post-operative hospital stay. The overall cumulative 5-year survival rates for each procedure (Hx group, cHPR group and pHPR group) were 40, 38 and 11 %, respectively. There was no significant difference between the Hx and cHPR groups in survival rates (p = 0.87).
Conclusion: In conclusion, HPR appears to be safe and feasible for selected patients with cholangiocarcinoma. However, the indications for HPR should be restricted.