Augmented reality navigation-assisted laparoscopic radical resection guided by the middle hepatic vein for giant hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe after neoadjuvant therapy

Surgical resection is an effective treatment for malignant tumors in the caudate lobe of the liver. In view of the deep anatomical location of the caudate lobe and the complex adjacent structures, this operation has a high risk. In this case, we adopted a strategy of first neoadjuvant therapy to reduce the volume of the tumor, and then with the help of augmented reality navigation (ARN) technology, the middle hepatic vein (MHV) was used to guide the operation, and the tumor was finally successfully removed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12672-026-04782-y.