Extending resectability of hilar cholangiocarcinomas: how can it be assessed and improved?

Until the 1980's, Klatskin tumors were considered 'desperate cases' and most of them were not resected; almost no oncologic concept was available. After many improvements, today, extended hepatectomy, including caudate lobe resection and lymphoadenectomy, have become a standard of care for oncologicaly radical resection of Klatskin tumors. Portal vein en bloc resection, if necessary, is a diffused standard assuring R0-resection without any improvement of survival in most series.

Present status and future perspectives of ALPPS (associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy).

First International Consensus Meeting, Hamburg, Germany, 27-28 February 2015 More than 160 participants took part in the conference for 2 days. A total of 58 world renown experts on ALPPS (associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy) were invited from all over the world. The faculty was divided into many different subgroups that were in contact during the 2-3 months before the conference analyzing all the most important aspects of this technique and summarizing it in a common structured work to be presented during the congress, giving final recommendations in the form of bulleted point statements.