Abstract:Objective: To investigate the long-term efficacy of postoperative transcatheter hepatic artery embolization (TAE) in non-shock patients with spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The clinicopathologic and follow-up data of 162 non-shock patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC undergoing surgical resection were collected. The factors affecting prognosis were determined by univariate and multivariate analysis. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received postoperative TAE or not, and the survival difference between the two groups were compared by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Univariate analysis indicate that the tumor diameter (P=0.008), liver cirrhosis (P=0.03), tumor location (P=0.028) and treatment method (P=0.012) were related to the prognosis of the non-shock patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC. Multivariate analysis suggested that the tumor diameter (HR=1.954, 95%CI=1.691-5.526, P=0.007), liver cirrhosis (HR=1.544, 95%CI=1.003-2.000, P=0.041), tumor location (HR=1.785, 95%CI=1.023-3.114, P=0.026) and treatment method (HR=1.692, 95%CI=1.131-2.533, P=0.011) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of the non-shock patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC. Survival analysis demonstrated that the patients undergoing postoperative TAE had a better prognosis than that of the patients undergoing surgery only (P<0.001). Conclusion: Postoperative TAE can improve the prognosis of the non-shock patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC.