Evaluation of the Effect of Surgical Access on the Innate Immune Response During Liver Resections of Various Volume, Experimental Study

Abstract

Introduction. The major components of the immune system are affected in almost all surgical operations, including those related to the tumor removal. The volume of the operation correlates with the level of the immune system suppression and frequency of complications. The issue of the effect of surgical access for liver resection with different volumes on surgical trauma and severity of the innate immune response are still challenging nowadays. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of open and laparoscopic surgical approaches on the severity of the innate immune response in small and large liver resections in laboratory animals.Methods. The study included 4 groups of rabbits, 10 animals each, formed depending on the surgical approach and the volume of liver resection: laparoscopic small and large liver resections, open small and large liver resections. The following parameters of the innate immune response were studied: phagocytic, cytotoxic and proliferative activity in dynamics. The experimental data were processed using the STATISTICA 6.0 software package (StatSoft, 2001). The results were considered statistically significant at p0.05.Results. Open extensive liver resections are characterized by a more significantly decreased phagocytic activity of neutrophils - from 95.7% to 32.05% - than similar interventions using laparoscopic access - from 96.4% to 52.4%, respectively. Cytotoxic activity in the group of animals exposed to surgery with laparotomy access decreased by 40% compared to 23% in animals exposed to laparoscopy surgery. There was registered a more than twice increased spontaneous and decreased induced proliferation in the postoperative period. Conclusion. The study results allow concluding on a positive effect manifested as a reduced surgical injury for liver resections of various volumes due to laparoscopic access; this is evidenced by the parameters of immune reactivity.