Early liver function tests can help surgeons identify patients at risk for post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF), improving outcomes.

• In a study of 445 patients, 8.5% developed PHLF.
• On postoperative day 3, bilirubin ≥1.8 mg/dl (sensitivity 93.3%) and INR ≥1.18 (sensitivity 80.6%) strongly predicted PHLF.
• Relying on current guidelines starting at day 5 could delay important interventions.

Early recognition of liver dysfunction could enhance surgical decision-making and patient outcomes.