Intraoperative Blood Transfusion Volume Research Articles

Intracerebral hemorrhage after liver transplantation

We report 5 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage afterorthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and identify the possible risk factors. Between November 1991 and April 1999, 75 adult patients received 77 orthotopic liver transplants at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. Five patients (6.5%) developed intracerebral hemorrhage postoperatively. Clinical and laboratory data were reviewed, and potential risk factors were analyzed. The 5 patients developed intracerebral hemorrhage within 40 days (range, 1 to 37 days; median, 4 days) after OLT The mortality rate was 80% (4 of 5 patients). The intraoperative blood transfusion volume (median, 17,200 mL; range, 15,750 to 30,360 mL) administered to patients who developed intracerebral hemorrhage postoperatively was significantly greater than that (median, 6,990 nil, range, 1,840 to 22,680 mL) for patients without the complication ( P = .0008). Massive intraoperative transfusion (> 15,000 mL) was required in all 5 patients (100%) with intracerebral hemorrhage but only 9 of 72 patients (12.5%) in the other group ( P = .0001). Four of 5 patients (80%) with intracerebral hemorrhage had intraoperative hypotension compared with 7 of 72 patients (9.7%) in the other group ( P = .001). No significant difference was found in age, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), incidence of hypertension, bleeding at extracerebral sites, cyclosporine A neurotoxicity, thrombocytopenia, hemodialysis, and sepsis between the patients with and without intracerebral bleeding. However, the median cumulative score of coagulation parameters (PT, APTT, platelet count) was significantly greater in the group with than without intracerebral bleeding (median score, 3 ν 1; P = .023). Intracerebral hemorrhage is 1 of the most disastrous complications after OLT Intraoperative hypotension, massive intraoperative transfusion, and coagulopathy may be correlated with this complication.

Determinants of hospital mortality of adult recipients of right lobe live donor liver transplantation.

To define the technical factors that might contribute to hospital mortality of recipients of right lobe live donor liver transplantation (LDLT) so as to perfect the design of the operation. Right lobe LDLT has been accepted as one of the treatments for patients with terminal hepatic failure, but the design and results of the reported series vary and the technical factors affecting hospital mortality have not been known. The data of 100 adult-to-adult right lobe LDLT performed between 1996 and 2002 were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. All grafts except one contained the middle hepatic vein, which was anastomosed to the recipient middle/left hepatic vein in the first 84 recipients and directly into the inferior vena cava (with the right hepatic vein in form of venoplasty) in the subsequent 15 patients. Venovenous bypass was used routinely in the first 29 patients but not subsequently. Eight patients died within the same hospital admission for liver transplantation. There was no hospital mortality in the last 53 recipients. Comparison of data of patients with or without hospital mortality showed that graft weight/body weight ratio, graft weight/estimated standard liver weight ratio, technical error resulting in occlusion/absence of the middle hepatic vein, use of venovenous bypass, the lowest body temperature recorded during surgery, the volume of intraoperative blood transfusion, fresh frozen plasma, and platelet infusion were significantly different between the two groups. However, the pretransplant intensive care unit status of the recipients, cold and warm ischemic time of the graft, and occurrence of biliary complications were not. By multivariate analysis, low body temperature recorded during operation, low graft weight/estimated standard liver weight ratio (</=0.35), and the middle hepatic vein occlusion were independent significant factors in determining hospital mortality. To achieve a uniformly successful right lobe LDLT, the right lobe graft must contain a patent middle hepatic vein. With a completely patent middle hepatic vein, a graft size of >35% of the estimated standard graft weight may be sufficient for recipient survival. Hypothermia, which predisposes to coagulopathy and is enhanced by the use of venovenous bypass and massive blood, and blood product transfusion must be avoided.

Intracerebral hemorrhage after liver transplantation.

We report 5 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and identify the possible risk factors. Between November 1991 and April 1999, 75 adult patients received 77 orthotopic liver transplants at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. Five patients (6.5%) developed intracerebral hemorrhage postoperatively. Clinical and laboratory data were reviewed, and potential risk factors were analyzed. The 5 patients developed intracerebral hemorrhage within 40 days (range, 1 to 37 days; median, 4 days) after OLT. The mortality rate was 80% (4 of 5 patients). The intraoperative blood transfusion volume (median, 17,200 mL; range, 15,750 to 30,360 mL) administered to patients who developed intracerebral hemorrhage postoperatively was significantly greater than that (median, 6,990 mL; range, 1,840 to 22,680 mL) for patients without the complication (P =.0008). Massive intraoperative transfusion (>15,000 mL) was required in all 5 patients (100%) with intracerebral hemorrhage but only 9 of 72 patients (12.5%) in the other group (P =.0001). Four of 5 patients (80%) with intracerebral hemorrhage had intraoperative hypotension compared with 7 of 72 patients (9.7%) in the other group (P =.001). No significant difference was found in age, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), incidence of hypertension, bleeding at extracerebral sites, cyclosporine A neurotoxicity, thrombocytopenia, hemodialysis, and sepsis between the patients with and without intracerebral bleeding. However, the median cumulative score of coagulation parameters (PT, APTT, platelet count) was significantly greater in the group with than without intracerebral bleeding (median score, 3 v 1; P =.023). Intracerebral hemorrhage is 1 of the most disastrous complications after OLT. Intraoperative hypotension, massive intraoperative transfusion, and coagulopathy may be correlated with this complication.

Giant cavernous hemangioma of the liver: is tumor size a risk factor for hepatectomy?

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether hepatic giant cavernous hemangioma (GCH) tumor size is a risk factor for hepatectomy. Twenty patients with GCH of the liver were treated by hepatic resection. Eleven patients with maximum resected specimen tumor size of >10 cm (mean tumor size, 18.5 cm; group 1) were compared with the 9 patients with tumor size. <10 cm (mean tumor size, 8.6 cm; group 2). The incidence of major hepatectomy in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 2 (P = 0.0241). Although there were no significant differences in preoperative liver function, or in fibrinogen or platelet counts between the two groups, the level of preoperative fibrin degradation product (FDP) in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 2 (P = 0.0116). Mean intraoperative hemorrhage volume, blood transfusion volume, and operation time in group 1 vs group 2 were 7003 ml vs 1092 ml (P = 0. 0251), 2927 ml vs 556 ml (P = 0.0169), and 431 min vs 216 min (P < 0. 0001), respectively. The incidence of postoperative complications in group 1 (45.5%) was higher than that in group 2 (22.2%), although not significantly so. There was no operative mortality in either group. Tumor size significantly correlated with intraoperative blood loss, operation time, weight of resected liver, intraoperative blood transfusion volume, and preoperative FDP levels. GCH tumor size is a significant risk factor for hepatectomy mainly because of the massive intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion associated with major hepatic resection. More careful preoperative management to decrease tumor size may increase the safety of surgery for GCH of the liver.

The Evaluation of Preoperative Embolization of Meningioma

To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative embolization of meningioma, we examined the correlation between the angiographic disappearance of the tumor blush after the embolization and the volume of blood loss and transfusion intraoperatively. Preoperative embolization of meningioma with intravascular neurosurgery was attempted for 42 trials, 41 cases from July 1989 to December 1995. There were no major complications attributed to the embolization procedure. As a subjective assessment in 23 cases the information from the surgeon following the operation was obtained. The angiographic disappearance of the tumor blush and reducing of the bleeding from tumor could be considered to be statiscally significant (p < 0.05). As an objective assessment in 37 cases following operation, the volume of both intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion was examined. The angiographic disappearance of the tumor blush and reduced intraoperative blood transfusion could be also considered to be statiscally significant (p < 0.05), otherwise reduced intraoperative blood loss failed to reach the significance level. 1n this study the efficacy of preoperative embolization of meningioma has been especially shown to reduce intraoperative blood transfusion significantly, therefore it is very useful to increase the chance of complete tumor removal with more safely and less invasively.

Improvement in results of repair of type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Although management of extensive type I and II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAA) remains a formidable challenge, results of repair of TAA originating in the distal thoracic aorta (type IV) appear to have improved significantly. To quantitate this perceived improvement, the following retrospective study was undertaken to examine the results of type IV TAA repair at the Brigham & Women's Hospital over the past 18-year period. From July 1977 to September 1994, nonruptured atherosclerotic type IV TAAs were repaired in 58 patients. The mean age was 70 years, and associated risk factors included smoking (91%), hypertension (86%), coronary artery disease (52%), and previous aortic surgery (38%). Mean follow-up was 2.4 years (median 2 years). Overall 30-day mortality was 5.3% (two deaths). Morbidity included stroke (3.5%), paraplegia (1.8%), permanent paraparesis (1.8%), myocardial infarction (7%), pneumonia (8.8%), gastrointestinal bleeding (11%), intestinal ischemia (5.3%), wound infection (7.0%), peripheral ischemia (5.3%), in-hospital dialysis (8.8%), and permanent dialysis (1.9%). Overall 5-year survival was 50%. With univariate analysis, survival was positively correlated with more recent year of operation (p = 0.002), smaller volume of intraoperative blood transfusion (p = 0.02), decreased supraceliac ischemia time (p = 0.04), and the use of the retroperitoneal approach (p = 0.09). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the year of operation was the only independent predictor of survival (p = 0.003). Subgroup analysis of patients who underwent operation between 1977 and 1987 (n = 13) and 1988 and 1994 (n = 45) revealed statistically significant improvements in length of hospital stay (46 +/- 12 vs 21 +/- 4 days, p = 0.02), postoperative dysrhythmia (50% vs 16%, p = 0.03), postoperative maximum serum glutamic oxaloacetic-transaminase (516 +/- 234 vs 319 +/- 139 mg%, p = 0.04), incidence of hemorrhage requiring reexploration (33% vs 0%, p = 0.002), 30-day mortality (23% vs 0%, p = 0.009), and in-hospital mortality (39% vs 2.2%, p = 0.002). The modern mortality, morbidity, and survival of surgical repair of type IV TAA in our institution approaches that of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Four-year clinical experience with the gelatin-resorcine-formol biological glue in acute aortic dissection

From January, 1977, to September, 1980, the gelatin-resorcine-formol (GRF) biological glue was used for tissue reinforcement in 25 patients operated upon for acute dissection involving the ascending aorta. The results in these patients (GRF group) were compared to the results in 25 patients operated upon between 1970 and 1976 with “classical techniques” (CT group). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, sex, and preoperative clinical and anatomic data. The ascending aorta was replaced in all patients. The aortic valve was replaced in three cases (12%) in the GRF group and in 12 cases (48%) of the CT group. The coronary arteries were bypassed or reimplanted in 20% of the patients in each group. Average volume of intraoperative blood transfusion was 5,800 ml in the CT group and 2,100 in the GRF group (p < 0.01). Four (16%) intraoperative deaths were registered in the CT group and none in the GRF group. Postoperative renal failure, cerebral ischemia, persisting peripheral ischemia, and infection were more frequent in the CT group, being responsible for eight hospital deaths in this group and for two in the GRF group (p < 0.01). Hospital mortality was therefore reduced from 48% (CT group) to 8% (GRF group) (p < 0.01). Two late deaths occurred in the CT group and none in the GRF group, all survivors being in good clinical condition. Sixteen patients in the GRF group underwent 19 control angiograms 2 to 36 months following the operation. Two of the angiograms documented moderate aortic incompetence (8%) and three showed persisting dissections of the descending aorta, but good and stable repair was apparent in the other patients. In conclusion, the use of the GRF glue significantly reduces the number of aortic valve replacements, the amount of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, and the frequency and severity of postoperative complications. Long-term (4 years) survival rate has been raised from 40% to 91%.