Long-term outcomes of hepatopancreatoduodenectomy for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: A comparative study with conventional hepatectomy

Introduction: Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy (HPD) is necessary to achieve a reliable margin-negative resection for widespread perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PhCC), yet data on long-term outcomes following HPD for PhCC remain limited. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 167 patients with PhCC who underwent surgery with curative-intent between 2000 and 2023. Hepatic resection and extrahepatic bile duct resection (HrBDR) were performed for cases presumed to have localized tumors, while HPD was conducted for cases with presumed extensive tumor spread. Short- and long-term outcomes, including surgery details, pathological findings, postoperative complications, survival rates, and recurrence patterns, were compared. Results: Forty-five patients underwent HPD and 122 underwent Hr-BDR. No differences were observed in the T or N factors of the TNM staging between both groups (P = 0.09 and 0.09). Overall postoperative significant complications (38 % vs. 34 %, P = 0.62), 90-day mortality rates (2 % vs. 2 %, P = 0.80), and 5-year cancerspecific survival (45 % vs. 40 %, P = 0.81) were comparable between both groups. However, the 5-year survival rate of the HPD group was significantly higher than that of the Hr-BDR group with positive invasive duodenal-side ductal margins (45 % vs. 0 %, P = 0.03). Local and remnant bile duct recurrence were significantly less frequent in the HPD than in the Hr-BDR group (20 % vs. 37 %, P = 0.04; 11 % vs. 0 %, P = 0.02, respectively). Conclusion: Although HPD for widespread PhCC requires careful postoperative management, it has the potential to provide excellent long-term outcomes, and it should be considered proactively.