To investigate the application value of liver hanging maneuver using fingers dissecting from top to down in hemihepatectomy.

Clinical data of 12 patients undergoing hemihepatectomy in the First People's Hospital of Foshan between September 2013 and August 2014 were retrospectively studied. Among the 12 patients, 8 were males and 4 were females with the age ranging from 29 to 71 years old and the median of 51 years old. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval had been received. Liver hanging maneuver was established by lowering hilar plate, dissecting the third porta hepatis and dissecting the second porta hepatis and retrohepatic tunnel with fingers from top to down. Then, hemihepatectomy was performed. The duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay after surgery and complications were observed.

Eleven of the 12 patients completed the operation with this maneuver. No massive hemorrhage occurred during the establishment of liver hanging. Only 1 patient needed the separation with the small finger and the other patients completed the separation with the third finger. Ten patients underwent right hemihepatectomy and 2 left hemihepatectomy. The median duration of operation was 224 (150-320) min, the intraoperative blood loss was 550(200-1 000) ml and the length of hospital stay after surgery was 11(7-18) d. One patient developed bile leakage, one developed ascites and one developed pleural effusion. All these 3 patients were cured by conservative treatment.

Liver hanging maneuver using fingers dissecting from top to down is safe and effective and makes the complex hemihepatectomy become safer by avoiding the damage to the great vessels and tumor rupture.