Laparoscopic hepatectomy is routinely used in the surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, and has formed a standardized operating procedure. Tumors located in the segments Ⅶ and Ⅷ of liver as well as the paracaval subsegment of caudate lobe are considered to be difficult sites for laparoscopic hepatectomy due to the deep anatomical location, proximity to important vascular structures, difficulty in exposing the visual field under laparoscopy, and limited operating space. Based on the experience of our team and related research reports, the authors analyzed and summarized countermeasures for the difficulties of laparoscopic hepatectomy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in difficult sites. Adhering to the tumor-centered and margin-based principles, accurate preoperative assessment, selection of the correct surgical approach, designing liver resection plane guided by hepatic vena while taking into account portal vein territory, and giving preference to ananatomical hepatectomy while preserving functional liver parenchyma as much as possible are the prerequisites for ensuring minimally invasive and oncology benefits for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in difficult sites.
