BACKGROUND: Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) following major hepatectomy (MH) increases the risk of morbidity and death. The relationship between institutional MH volume, PHLF, and outcomes is not well characterized. METHODS: Adults undergoing MH from 2014 to 2021 in the ACS NSQIP hepatectomy-targeted database were included. Rates of PHLF were compared based on hospital-level annual MH volume. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between volume, PHLF grade, and outcomes. RESULTS: Across 11,167 patients, PHLF incidence was 3.7% in low-volume, 5.5% in low-medium volume, 6.9% in medium-high volume, 11.8% in high-volume centers (p < 0.001). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for morbidity in grade B/C PHLF compared to those without PHLF was elevated in both lower-volume centers (quartiles 1-3), (11.2 7.04-17.70) and in high-volume centers, (8.47 6.06-11.85). CONCLUSION: Higher annual major hepatectomy volume is associated with increased PHLF, which may be a function of complex disease treated at these institutions. PHLF precedes other adverse events affecting both high and low volume institutions. PHLF is an important target for quality improvement.
Peters et al. (2026) studied this question.