The Effect of Analgesic Modalities on Long Term Outcomes Following Open Liver Resection

The LIVER and LIVER 2 studies were randomised controlled trials that compared epidural analgesia with local anaesthetic wound infiltration as post-operative analgesia in patients undergoing open liver resection.

The overall findings of this trial were of similar rates of morbidity and pain control post-operatively but a reduced recovery time for the wound catheter group. As a result, wound catheter local anesthetic infiltration has become increasingly utilized in this unit and within other units throughout the country and worldwide.

There has been some evidence however, that epidural analgesia post-operatively can have a positive impact on long term survival in patients undergoing abdominal surgery for cancer. The reasons for this are not well established but it is proposed that the protective effect against the immunosuppression following major surgery that epidural has can aid in the cancer prevention process. There remains no randomised controlled trials looking at this subject in open liver surgery.

The aim of this study is to assess the overall and disease free survival of the patients who participated in the LIVER and LIVER 2 trials.

The primary outcome is 5 year overall survival. Data will be observed from electronic (or non electronic) patient records, information and statistics department data and general practice records as required.