Table 2.

Complications after hepatic resection surgery. Hb, haemoglobin; INR, international normalised ratio.

Complication	Incidence	Time of onset	Presentation
Infection of surgical wound or incision	30%	Within a week after operation	Swelling, exudation at incision site, wound dehiscence (severe infection)
Bile leaks	4–17%23	Days after operation	Attributable to surgical iatrogenic injury, incomplete bile duct anastomosis or truncation of the distal bile duct in the residual liver
			Persistent bilious drainage in drain bag
			Systemically unwell
Biliary fistulae	4–27%23	Days to weeks after operation	Abdominal pain, rebound tenderness, muscle tension and bile leakage from the drainage tube (increased bilirubin in bile drain bag)
Post-hepatectomy liver failure	8–12%23	Day 5 onwards after surgery	Increased INR and hyperbilirubinaemia on or after postoperative Day 5
The acquired deterioration of the ability of the liver to maintain its synthetic, excretory and detoxifying functions
Post-hepatectomy haemorrhage	Below 3% (in dedicated centres)23	Immediate: during surgery	Residual liver surface bleeding and incomplete intraoperative haemostasis
A decrease in Hb >30 g L−1 after the end of surgery compared with postoperative baseline level; or any postoperative transfusion of red blood cells for a decreasing Hb concentration; or the need for reintervention (laparotomy, embolisation) to stop the bleeding		Delayed: after surgery	Hepatic venous congestion and raised venous pressures exacerbated by patients’ body movement, such as turning over or coughing severely.
Others: intra-abdominal sepsis, liver or renal dysfunction, respiratory failure, systemic sepsis