Utility of Falciform Ligament in Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present systematic review was to assess current trends in use of falciform ligament in abdominal surgery. BACKGROUND: The falciform ligament has been proposed in surgical literature as a suitable pedicle or flap with acceptable surgical outcomes; however, it is underutilized in abdominal surgery. METHODS: We performed a literature search and meta-analysis. All English studies describing use of a falciform ligament were eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: Of the 547 articles mentioning use of falciform ligament, 32 full text articles were included in this review. The majority were case reports (n = 14). The mremaining papers included retrospective analysis (n = 10), randomized control trials (n = 2), reviews (n = 3), and technique descriptions (n = 6). CONCLUSION: The falciform ligament appears to be a safe and easily accessible natural tissue with a variety of surgical applications. It is most useful as a pedicle flap and could have benefit in foregut surgery including hepatic, pancreatic, biliary, gastric, and esophageal operations.