Predictors for 30-day mortality in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver resection

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks among the most prevalent and fatal liver cancers globally. Liver surgery, particularly resection, offers the potential for cure but poses challenges, especially in Indonesia, where patients often present in advanced stages. This study aimed to determine the intraoperative and perioperative factors associated with 30- day mortality of HCC patients undergoing liver resection at a tertiary referral hospital. The study included HCC patients undergoing liver resection at Karadi General Hospital, Semarang, Indonesia, between January 2018 and September 2023. Demographic data, intraoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors were collected, with the primary outcome being 30-day mortality. Factors influencing 30-day survival were assessed using a log-rank test and the survival analysis employed Kaplan-Meier curves. Among 58 HCC patients who had liver resection, 62.1% were males, with a mean age was 57.27 ± 9.56 years. Preoperative comorbidities, notably hepatitis B, affected 34.4% of patients. Child-Pugh Score categorized 91.4% as class A. The study found a 30-day mortality rate of 10.3% with no subsequent increase in incidence. The failure-to-rescue rate (FTR) of this study was found 46%. Factors associated with 30-day mortality were Child-Pugh classification (<i>p</i> < 0.001), intraoperative bleeding (<i>p</i> = 0.001), creatinine levels (<i>p</i> = 0.005), Clavien-Dindo classification (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) (<i>p</i> < 0.001). This study suggests that preoperative (Child-Pugh classification), intraoperative (blood loss volume), and postoperative factors (Creatinine level, Clavien-Dindo classification, and PHLF) could predict the mortality rate of HCC patients undergoing liver resection.