Abstract Purpose For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) located in the left lateral lobe, the optimal surgical procedure is still controversial. This study aimed to optimize surgical strategies and to construct a nomogram to predict the postoperative survival of patients with HCC. Methods Between 1 January 2005 and 30 September 2018, a total of 493 patients were enrolled. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed between the left lateral lobectomy (LLL) and left hepatectomy (LH) groups (1:1). The study endpoints were overall survival (OS), recurrence‐free survival (RFS), and safety. A nomogram was generated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. The discriminative ability and calibration of the nomogram were evaluated using C‐statistics and calibration plots. Results After matching, 87 pairs were included. The LH group had better 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year OS rates than the LLL group (88%, 73%, and 69% vs. 73%, 57%, and 49%, respectively; p = 0.017). The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year RFS rates of the LH group were similar to those of the LLL group (64%, 49%, and 46% vs. 63%, 51%, and 42%, respectively; p = 0.652). There were no significant differences in postoperative complications. Eight factors were integrated into the nomogram and it had good discriminative ability and calibration. Conclusion Our data revealed that compared to LLL, LH may result in better OS and have similar postoperative complications for HCC. The nomogram may serve as a practical tool for the individual prognostic evaluation of patients with HCC.
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