Factors Influencing Postoperative Morbidity, Mortality, and Survival After Resection for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Surgical resection provides the best survival for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. An adequate nutritional support to increase serum albumin over 3 g/dL is the most important factor to decrease postoperative mortality. Moreover, preoperative biliary drainage to decrease jaundice and a curative resection with adequate surgical margin are recommended if longer survival is anticipated. Patients with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma seem to survive longer compared to those with moderately or poorly differentiated tumors.