Measurement of postoperative liver volume changes in patients with gastric cancer by computed tomography

INTRODUCTION: One of the most prevalent cancer worldwide is gastric cancer. Surgical treatment is the only curative method. In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in liver volume before and after open gastrectomy in patients diagnosed with gastric cancer.
METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the computed tomography scans of 70 patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery between June 2013 and December 2020. Preoperative and postoperative total liver volume, the volume of segments II-III, and segment IV were measured. The data obtained from volume measurements were compared statistically.
RESULTS: Of the 70 subjects included in the study, 48 were male and 22 were female, with an average age of 64.2±11.8 years. In the postoperative phase, the volume of segments II-III and IV dropped significantly compared to the preoperative period (p=0.001 for both). Total liver volume exhibited a mild decrease in the postoperative period, but the total volume loss was not statistically significant (p=0.744).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In this study, we detected significant volume loss in segments II-III and segment IV after open gastrectomy. However, the total liver volume reduction was less.