Resection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with portal hypertension: long-term results based on direct intraoperative measurement of portal venous pressure

Abstract

Introduction: The existence of differences in long-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with or without portal hypertension (PH) undergoing hepatic resection remains controversial. Our aim was to clarify the long-term prognosis of HCC patients with PH undergoing hepatectomy. PH diagnosis was based on intraoperative portal venous pressure (PVP) measurement. Materials and Methods: Between May 2001 and April 2005, 68 patients with HCC underwent liver resection. PVP was directly measured at the beginning of surgery. Patients were divided into a high (>11 mm Hg) (n=33) or a low (≤11 mm Hg) (n=35) PVP group. Clinicopathologic factors and postoperative outcomes were compared between the 2 groups, with tumor staging stratification according to Milan criteria (selection criteria for patients receiving transplantation). Median follow-up time was 101 months. Results: Postoperative mortality was 0. Median PVP was 10.7 mm Hg (range; 2.9–23.5 mm Hg). Compared with patients with low PVP, patients with high PVP had lower platelet counts, lower serum albumin levels, higher ALT concentration, higher international normalized ratio, higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD score), and increased blood loss and blood transfusion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed factors related to high PVP: serum albumin level <3.6 g/dL (odd ratio: 5.532, 95% confidence interval: 1.286-23.79, P=0.022), and MELD score >6 (odd ratio: 5.585; 95% confidence interval: 1.638-19.040, P=0.006). Postoperative morbidity was comparable between the 2 groups. Overall survival and disease-free survival rates in the high PVP group were significantly lower than in the low PVP group (P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that, for patients within Milan criteria, those in the high PVP group had lower overall survival (P=0.032) and disease-free survival (P=0.016) than in those in the low PVP group. For patients outside the Milan criteria, no differences in survival were observed. Conclusions: In patients with early stage HCC undergoing resection, high PVP is associated with impaired long-term prognosis. For these patients, close follow-up and early salvage liver transplants for recurrent disease may be necessary to improve long-term prognosis after surgery.