Abstract:Background and Aims Precise localization of lesions and optimization of the surgical approach are crucial in laparoscopic left hepatectomy. Traditional surgical techniques have certain limitations, whereas indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation can accurately delineate the boundaries of liver lesions. The Laennec's capsule approach aids in clearly exposing intrahepatic structures. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of combining ICG fluorescence navigation with the Laennec's capsule approach in laparoscopic left hepatectomy.Methods The clinical data of 44 liver cancer patients who underwent surgery at the Hepatobiliary Surgery Department of Xuanhan People's Hospital from January 2023 to November 2024 were retrospectively collected. Among them, 22 patients underwent laparoscopic left hepatectomy with Pringle's maneuver for total hepatic inflow occlusion (control group), while the other 22 patients received laparoscopic left hepatectomy using ICG fluorescence navigation combined with the Laennec's capsule approach (observation group). The two groups were compared in terms of intraoperative surgical time, average blood loss, intraoperative transfusion rate, liver function on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, and 7 [total bilirubin (TBIL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT)], average length of hospital stay, gastrointestinal function recovery time, POD 1-6 drainage volume, incidence of postoperative complications, and short-term efficacy.Results The observation group had significantly shorter average surgical time than the control group [(218.19±39.18) min vs. (245.23±44.36) min, P<0.05] and less average blood loss [(320.44±78.62) mL vs. (456.37±88.16) mL, P<0.05]. The intraoperative transfusion rate between the two groups was not significantly different (13.64% vs. 9.09%, P>0.05). The observation group had significantly less postoperative drainage POD 1-6 than the control group [(431.19±152.18) mL vs. (528.23±184.36) mL, P<0.05]. The average hospital stay and gastrointestinal function recovery time were shorter in the observation group [(9.21±2.92) d vs. (12.72±3.24) d; (2.24±0.42) d vs. (3.35±0.53) d, both P<0.05]. Postoperative liver function tests (TBIL, AST, ALT) on days 1, 3, and 7 were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group (all P<0.05). The difference in the overall response rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (72.73% vs. 77.27%, P>0.05). No severe postoperative complications occurred in either group.Conclusion The combination of ICG fluorescence navigation with the Laennec's capsule approach demonstrates favorable clinical outcomes in laparoscopic left hepatectomy and is worthy of clinical promotion.