Left Liver Volume Research Articles

Impact of Preoperative Protein Sparing Modified Fast Diet on Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery can become technically challenging in the setting of liver steatosis and hepatomegaly. The protein sparing modified fast (PSMF) diet helps in achieving rapid weight loss. The aim of this study is to explore the results of a preoperative PSMF diet on liver volume and steatosis as well as on intraoperative and postoperative complications in patients with hepatomegaly undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Between January 2010 and January 2021, 713 patients undergoing RYGB as a primary bariatric surgery were divided in two groups. Those with a measured liver length above 16cm and or evidence of liver steatosis on ultrasound (group 1) were offered a preoperative PSMF diet while the remaining (group 2) proceeded directly to surgery. Between January 2010 and April 2012, patients included in group 1 had liver volume measurements on magnetic resonance imaging the day before the diet was started and the day before the surgery. For the length of the study, intraoperative and postoperative data were recorded for both groups. Five days of preoperative PSMF diet resulted in a significant reduction of total and left liver volume (15.8% and 21% respectively, p < 0.001). There was no difference in intraoperative bleeding and conversion rate or postoperative complication rate between both groups. The PSMF diet helps in achieving a rapid decrease in liver volume. Patients with hepatomegaly initially thought to be at a higher risk of intraoperative complications reached comparable rates to patients without hepatomegaly after the diet regimen without any impact on the postoperative course.

Низькокалорійна високопротеїнова низьковуглеводна дієта як ефективний метод зниження надлишку маси тіла

The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 2-week ultra-low-calorie, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet to reduce body weight, left liver volume, and correct biochemical parameters in patients with planned bariatric surgery. A retrospective analysis of the treatment of 32 patients (23 men and 9 women) with morbid obesity who were in the surgical department from 2018 to 2021. They underwent preoperative preparation followed by laparoscopic hose resection of the stomach. The mean age of patients was 43.8 ± 11.7 years, body weight - 175.5 kg (167.5-193.8 kg), body mass index (BMI) - 58.8 ± 10.3 kg/m2, area left lobe of the liver - 80.9 ± 18 cm2, the average thickness of subcutaneous tissue - 36.5 (25-40) mm, the average level of ALT - 45.8 (41.4 - 61.8) μmol/l, AST - 42, 4 (34.8 - 52.5) μmol/l, total cholesterol - 6.09 ± 0.79 mmol/l, HDL-cholesterol - 0.93 ± 0.22 mmol/l, LDL-cholesterol - 3.75 ± 0.99 mmol/l and triglycerides - 2.09 ± 0.66 mmol/l. 2 weeks after the start of the diet, the percentage of weight loss (% BMD) reached 9.9 ± 2.7% (5.6-16.5%), body weight - 164.5 kg (153.8-184.3 kg) and the average value of BMI - 55.4 ± 9.7 kg/m2, the area of the left lobe of the liver - 69.6 ± 17.5 cm2, the average thickness of subcutaneous tissue - 31.5 (22-37) mm, the average level of ALT - 42.8 (28.8 - 49.2) μmol/l, AST - 29.3 (22.9 - 37.7) μmol/l, total cholesterol - 5.24 ± 0.83 mmol/l, HDL -HS - 1.19 ± 0.2 mmol/l, LDL-cholesterol - 4.57 ± 0.87 mmol/l and triglycerides - 1.65 ± 0.78 mmol/l. Thus, prescribing an ultra-low-calorie, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is a safe and effective way to reduce excess weight, reduce anterior abdominal wall thickness, reduce left liver size, and correct biochemical parameters in high-risk patients before bariatric surgery.

Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Retention Test of Left Hemiliver in Decision-Making for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Right Hepatectomy

Introduction: The aim of this study was to select qualified patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent right hepatectomy (RH) via intraoperative indocyanine green retention test at 15 min (ICG-R15) of the left hemiliver, which prevents severe posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF).Methods: Twenty HCC patients who were preoperatively planned to undergo RH were enrolled. Intraoperative ICG-R15 of left hemiliver was measured after the right Glissonean pedicle was completely blocked. Patients then underwent RH if intraoperative ICG-R15 was ≤ 10%. Otherwise, patients underwent staged RH (SRH), either associating liver partitioning and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) or portal vein ligation (PVL), followed by stage-2 RH. The comparison group consisted of patients with a ratio of standard left liver volume (SLLV) of > 40% and preoperative ICG-R15 ≤ 10% who underwent RH. The clinical outcomes of these two groups were compared.Results: Of the 20 patients, six underwent stage-1 RH, six underwent ALPPS, five underwent PVL followed by stage-2 RH, and three failed to proceed to stage-2 RH after PVL. No significant differences were found among the 17 patients who underwent stage-1 or stage-2 RH in the study group, the 19 patients in the comparison group, the 11 patients in the stage-2 RH group, and the six patients in the stage-1 RH group in incidences of PHLF, postoperative complications, hospital stay, and HCC recurrence within 1 year after RH. Compared with the stage-1 ALPPS group, the mean operative time and blood loss of the stage-1 PVL group were significantly less (p <0.001 and p = 0.022, respectively). The stage-1 PVL group had a significantly longer waiting-time (43.4 vs. 14.0 days, p = 0.016) than the stage-1 ALPPS group to proceed to stage-2 RH. After stage-2 RH, tumor recurrence within 1 year was 20% (1/5) in patients after PVL and 50% (3/6) after stage-1 ALPPS.Conclusions: Intraoperative ICG-R15 ≤ 10% of left hemiliver was valuable in intraoperative decision-making for patients who were planned to undergo RH. There is a possibility that stage-1 PVL might help to select patients with more favorable biological behavior to undergo stage-2 RH.

Lower Ratio of Liver Volume and Body Weight Is a Negative Predictor of Survival after Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is the most effective measure to treat complications of portal hypertension. However, liver function may deteriorate after TIPS. Predictors of liver function and outcome after TIPS are therefore important for management of TIPS patients. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of liver volume on transplant-free survival (TFS) after TIPS, as well as the evolution of liver volume and its relationship with liver function after TIPS. A retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent TIPS in a tertiary care university liver center between 2012 and 2017 (n = 216) was performed; n = 72 patients with complete prior and follow-up (FU) computed tomography (CT) imaging studies were included in the study. Volumetry of the liver was performed by a semi-automatic 9-lobe image segmentation algorithm at baseline and FU (FU 1: 90–180 d; FU 2: 180–365 d; FU 3: 365–545 d; FU 4: 545–730 d; FU 5: >730 d). Output variables were total liver volume (TLV, cm3), left liver volume (LLV, cm3), right liver volume (RLV, cm3) and TLV/body weight ratio. CT derived liver volumes were correlated with liver function tests, portosystemic pressure gradient (PPG) measurements and survival. To assess predictors of liver volume change over time we fitted linear mixed models. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed and validated by matched pair analysis followed by Cox regression to determine independent prognostic factors for survival. The median TLV at baseline was 1507.5 cm3 (773.7–3686.0 cm3). Livers with higher baseline liver volumes and larger TLV/weight ratios retained their volume after an initial loss while smaller livers continuously lost volume after TIPS. At the first follow-up period (90–180 d post-TIPS) lower liver volumes and TLV/weight ratios were associated with higher bilirubin levels. Within the final multivariable model containing time (days since TIPS), baseline INR and baseline TLV, the average loss of liver volume was 0.74 mL per day after TIPS. Twelve-month overall transplant-free survival was 89% and median overall TFS was 33 months. The median TFS for a baseline TLV/body weight ratio > 20 was significantly higher compared with ≤20 (40.0 vs. 27.0 months, p = 0.010) while there were no differences regarding the indication for TIPS or etiology of liver disease in the matched pair analysis. Lower TLV/weight ratios before TIPS were associated with shorter TFS and should therefore be critically considered when selecting patients for TIPS. In addition, this study provides first evidence of an effect of TIPS on subsequent liver volume change and associated liver function.

Biliary Complications After Single- and Dual-Graft Living-Donor Liver Transplantation Using a Right Posterior Section Graft of Donor with a Type III Portal Vein Variation

BackgroundWhen the donor’s left lobe volume is <30%, donor selection for the right posterior section graft (RPSG) is based on the type III portal vein (PV) anatomic variation. Herein, we validated the selection of a donor with a type III PV variation for RPSG to prevent biliary complications (BCs) after single-graft (SG) and dual-graft (DG) living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). MethodsThe clinical data of recipients and donors with a type III PV variation for LDLT using an RPSG performed between January 2004 and June 2018 were retrospectively collected and analyzed to determine the occurrence of BCs. ResultsThe 26 LDLTs performed using an RPSG, including 20 DG LDLT cases, accounted for 0.6% of all LDLT cases (n=4292). BCs developed in 6 recipients (23.0%), including biliary stricture in 4 (15.3%) and bile leakage in 2 (7.6%). No vascular complications occurred. The RPSG volume was significantly smaller in recipients with BCs than in those without BCs (400.8±79.9 vs 504.1±96.5 mL, P = .015). The bile duct types were A, B, C1, C2, and D in 6 (18.8%), 5 (15.6%), 3 (9.4%), 13 (40.6%), and 5 (15.6%) patients, respectively. All the RPSGs had a single-orifice bile duct. The bile duct size of the RPSG was relatively smaller in recipients with BCs than in those without BCs (2.8±1.0 vs 3.6±1.4 mm, P = .237). ConclusionsWhen the left liver volume is disproportionately small, selection of a donor with a type III PV variation can prevent BCs after SG and DG LDLTs using an RPSG.

Prise en charge des tumeurs malignes du foie en radiologie interventionnelle

Interventional radiology (IR) has considerably grown since the 90s and has currently a central position in the management of patients suffering from cancer. The aim of this paper is to describe the principle, indications, technique and results of three common hepatic oncologic IR procedures: preoperative portal vein embolization, transarterial chemoembolization and radioembolization. Portal vein embolization is performed before a right hepatectomy in order to increase the left liver volume and functional capacity to ensure adequate liver function of the future remnant liver and to prevent the post-hepatectomy liver failure. It is a proven, well-tolerated and effective technique, allowing most of patients to undergo surgery. Transarterial chemoembolization consists of an injection of a chemotherapeutic agent and an embolic agent into the hepatic artery to locally act on liver tumors. It is the standard of care for BCLC stage B hepatocellular carcinoma and is also recommended for the liver metastases treatment, mainly from neuroendocrine tumors. Radioembolization is an IR procedure on the rise that consists of the injection into the hepatic artery of Yttrium 90 loaded microparticles, which will preferentially deliver high dose on the tumors, sparing the adjacent hepatic parenchyma. Radioembolization is recommended for the palliative treatment of HCC and for colorectal cancer liver metastases resistant to treatment. It is a very well tolerated intervention which place has yet to be defined in the management of neuroendocrine tumors liver metastases and unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. IR is a constantly evolving discipline with proven techniques playing a major role in the oncological management of liver tumor patients. In oncology, IR is now the 4th patient management linchpin alongside oncology, surgery and radiotherapy.

Risk factors of liver dysfunction for donor after extended right lobe graft donation

Introduction: Extended right lobe graft are often used in living donor liver transplantation(LDLT), in the donors with sufficient future liver remnant (FLR) volume. The aim of this study is to review retrospectively and to find risk factors of liver dysfunction for donor after extended right lobe graft donation. Method: From November 2005 to May 2018, a total of 52 living liver donors who underwent extended right lobectomy were included in this study.The subjects were divided into 2 groups.The hazard group was defined as the donors showing at least one of the following criteria:(1)postoperative serum peak bilirubin > 3.0mg/dL; (2) postoperative peak INR > 2.0, (3) posthepatectomy liver failure(PHLF) grade B or C of International Study Group of Liver Surgery(ISGLS), (4) ascites > 500cc on or after pod 5. Other donors with no criteria mentioned above were included in the safety group. Result: In hazard group, they had smaller volume of left lateral section(LLS) compared to safety group and the ratio of left liver volume(LLV) and left lateral section volume(LLSV) to total liver volume (TLV) in hazard group were smaller than in safety group. The mean and median values of the ratio of LLV to TLV(LLV/TLV); 38%, and the ratio of LLSV to TLV(LLSV/TLV); 20%, were used as the cut-off value. In hazard group, there were more patients whose LLV/TLV was less than 38% and whose LLSV/TLV was less than 20%. Using each cut-off values regarded as risk factors, three groups were categorized. This indicates that donors with smaller LLV/TLV or/and LLSV/TLV are more prone to liver dysfunction. Conclusion: The extent of donor hepatectomy must be contemplated based on a careful preoperative evaluation, including the volumetry. In this study, the LLV/TLV less than 38% and/or LLSV/TLV less than 20% were the major risk factors for postoperative liver dysfunction.

Left Hepatectomy with Combined Resection and Reconstruction of Right Hepatic Artery for Bismuth Type I and II Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma.

Right hepatectomy with caudate lobectomy (RHx) is considered an appropriate procedure for Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma in terms of its anatomical and oncological aspect. However, validity of left hepatectomy with caudate lobectomy (LHx) concomitant with arterial resection and reconstruction (AR) is not fully evaluated. The patients who underwent surgical resection for Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma between 2002 and 2013 were studied. The standard procedure for Bismuth type I/II cholangiocarcinoma in the institute was RHx, while in patients who had insufficient functional reserve of the left liver, LHx was selected, irrespective of the necessity of AR. The clinicopathologic and perioperative outcomes after LHx + AR were compared with those after RHx. The surgical procedures comprised LHx + AR in 12 and RHx in 24. The left liver volume and left liver functional reserve were significantly lower with LHx + AR than with RHx (left liver volume: 28.0 vs. 33.7%, p = 0.026; estimated indocyanine green clearance of the left liver: 0.036 vs. 0.046, p < 0.001). The rate of surgical morbidity was almost identical between the two procedures. No arterial reconstruction-related complications occurred. The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates and median survival time were 66.7%, 41.7% and 44months for LHx + AR and 70.8%, 49.0% and 57months for RHx (p = 0.640). LHx + AR for Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma is considered to be a valid alternative to RHx in patients with an insufficient left liver functional reserve.

Portal vein ligation and in situ liver splitting in metastatic liver cancer.

The most serious complication after major liver resection is liver failure. Depending on preoperative liver function, a future liver remnant of 25%-40% is considered sufficient to avoid postoperative liver failure. A new technique known as portal vein ligation combined with in situ splitting has been developed to obtain rapid liver hypertrophy. Herein, we present a case where we performed portal vein ligation combined with in situ splitting. A 37-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of sigmoid adenocarcinoma and liver metastasis underwent anterior resection because of an obstructing sigmoid tumor and received palliative chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, abdominal computed tomography revealed a lesion, 50 mm in diameter, localized between segments 5-8 of the liver on the bifurcation of the anteroposterior segmental branch of the right portal vein. Computed tomography volumetric assessments of the liver were performed in the preoperative period, and it was found that the remnant left liver volume was less than 25%. In the first stage, portal vein ligation and in situ splitting of the liver parenchyma were performed. On the second and sixth postoperative days, computed tomography revealed hypertrophy of the left liver lobe. On the sixth day, a right hepatectomy was performed. Portal vein ligation combined with in situ splitting has been used by surgeons worldwide to obtain rapid and adequate liver hypertrophy. This new approach yields hope for patients with locally advanced liver tumors and may increase the number of curative resections for primary or metastatic liver tumors.

Preoperative Left Portal Vein Embolization for Left Liver Resection in High-Risk Hepatobiliary Malignancy Patients.

Preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) is performed for right liver (RL) and sometimes left liver (LL) resection to prevent postoperative surgical complications. We retrospectively reviewed 10 patients who underwent preoperative left PVE before LL resection for hepatobiliary malignancies along with 3 propensity score-matched control groups (n=40 each). Mean patient age was 68.6±6.9years. Diagnoses included intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n=4), perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (n=3), neuroendocrine carcinoma (n=1), recurrent cholangiocarcinoma (n=1), and inflammatory liver mass (n=1). The reason for left PVE was a large LL>40% of the total liver volume (TLV) with a major comorbidity or age>70years with a poor overall condition. All patients underwent preplanned operations, including LL resection at 1-3weeks post PVE. The LL volume proportion of the TLV was 44.9±1.7 and 40.7±2.3% before and after PVE; thus, 1-2weeks post PVE, the kinetic shrinkage rate of the LL was 9.4±3.3%, and the kinetic growth rate of the RL was 7.6±2.7%. The overall surgical complication rates were 40, 50, and 39.2% in the left PVE, large LL control, and all three control groups, respectively (p≥0.727). In contrast, the adjusted rates of major complications were 0% in the left PVE group versus 36.8% (p=0.040), 25.6% (p=0.123), and 15.8% (p=0.295) in the large-, medium-, and small-sized LL control groups, respectively. Our experience indicates that left PVE is safe and induces atrophy of the LL effectively. We suggest that it can be a useful option to reduce the risk of postoperative complications in elderly high-risk patients.

Stepwise approach to curative surgery using percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage and portal vein embolization for severe bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a case report.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been recently adapted to acute cholecystitis. Major bile duct injury during LC, especially Strasberg-Bismuth classification type E, can be a critical problem sometimes requiring hepatectomy. Safety and definitive treatment without further morbidities, such as posthepatectomy liver failure, is required. Here, we report a case of severe bile duct injury treated with a stepwise approach using 99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin (99mTc-GSA) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT fusion imaging to accurately estimate liver function.A 52-year-old woman diagnosed with acute cholecystitis underwent LC at another hospital and was transferred to our university hospital for persistent bile leakage on postoperative day 20. She had no jaundice or infection, although an intraperitoneal drainage tube discharged approximately 500 ml of bile per day. Recorded operation procedure showed removal of the gallbladder with a part of the common bile duct due to its misidentification, and each of the hepatic ducts and right hepatic artery was injured. Abdominal enhanced CT revealed obstructive jaundice of the left liver and arterial shunt through the hilar plate to the right liver. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed type E4 or more advanced bile duct injury according to the Bismuth-Strasberg classification. We planned a stepwise approach using percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage (PTCD) and portal vein embolization (PVE) for secure right hemihepatectomy and biliary-jejunum reconstruction and employed 99mTc-GSA SPECT/CT fusion imaging to estimate future remnant liver function. The left liver function rate had changed from 26.2 % on admission to 26.3 % after PTCD and 54.5 % after PVE, while the left liver volume rate was 33.8, 33.3, and 49.6 %, respectively. The increase of liver function was higher than that of volume (28.3 vs. 15.8 %). On postoperative day 63, the curative operation, right hemihepatectomy and biliary-jejunum reconstruction, was performed, and posthepatectomy liver failure could be avoided.Careful consideration of treatment strategy for each case is necessary for severe bile duct injury with arterial injury requiring hepatectomy. The stepwise approach using PTCD and PVE could enable hemihepatectomy, and 99mTc-GSA SPECT/CT fusion imaging was useful to estimate heterogeneous liver function.

Volumetry Guided Right Hepatectomy in The Presence of Hypolastic Left Lateral Segment in the LivingDonor.

Background: Variant anatomy often leads to exclusion of potential living donors. However, in Asia and India, there is near total reliance on living donation. We report the case of a successful living donor righthepatectomy in the presence of hypoplastic segments 2 &3. Method:A 42 year old male suffering fromcirrhosis, MELD 16, hepato-hydrothorax & ascites with SBP. was evaluated for Liver transplant. His brother,aged 32 years, volunteered to donate. On evaluation, his LAI(liver attenuation index) was +1 and Liver biopsyhad 15% macro-vesicular steatosis. After psychological, cardiac and pulmonology evaluation he was acceptedfor donation. His triphasic C T scan of liver & volumetry showed a congenitally small left lateral segment (Wholeliver 1107 ml; Segment 2&3 81 ml). Routine transection plane through the Middle Hepatic Vein (MHV) yielded aright graft of 840 ml {GRWR(Graft to Recipient Weight Ratio) =1.1} and RLV(Remnant Liver Volume) 267ml(24%)precluding safe donor hepatectomy. Since the left liver was mainly constituted by Segment 4, thehepatectomy plane was modified according to portal vein supply and leaving MHV in the donor to prevent anycongestion in Segment 4. The new plane yielded right graft volume of 750 ml and RLV 357 ml (32.2%). After extensive counseling and authorization committee approval, transplant was done. The recipient operation wasdelayed till the donor hilar dissection ensured that the transection plane matched the preoperative plan.Results:The donor hepatectomy was uneventful (blood loss 500 ml; no transfusion). The donor made anuneventful recovery and was discharged on POD 7. The retrieved graft was 720 grams (GRWR= 0.940).Therecipient had a smooth post -operative course. Follow up donor C T at 3 months showed increase in Left livervolume to 902 ml (RLV 357); segment 4 from 276 to 633 ml and seg 2&3 from 81 to 269 ml.C onclusion: In theabsence of a viable deceased donor program, predominantly living donor centers will be forced to acceptdonors with variant anatomy. Preoperative planning and use of imaging and volumetry to guide hepatectomy can allow retrieval of grafts from these donors without increasing the risk.

Application of laparoscopic-guided selective portal vein ligation in the two-stage hepatectomy for patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To investigate laparoscopic-guided selective portal vein ligation in the two-stage hepatectomy for patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods Twenty-three patients with HCC who were not suitable for one-stage hepatectomy were admitted to the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from March 2009 to February 2012.Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Laparoscopic-guided selective portal vein ligation was firstly performed,dynamic changes of hepatic volume and predicted volume of liver to be resected were detected by computed tomography.Two-stage open hepatectomy was performed after assessment of resectability of HCC.All data were analyzed using the analysis of variance or q test.Results Laparoscopic-guided selective portal vein ligation was successfully performed on 22 patients (2 patients received concomitant cholecystectomy because the right branch of portal vein was difficult to expose),1 patient was converted to open surgery because of hemorrhage during portal vein separation.Three patients with multiple lesions received transcatheter arterial chemoembolization at 1 week after selective portal vein ligation.Dull pain in the hepatic region,low fever,nausea and vomiting were observed in the 23 patients,while no severe complications including peritoneal hemorrhage,bile leakage,hepatapostema was observed.The levels of aspartate aminotransferase,alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin were back to normal at 1 week after the surgery.The right liver volume at postoperative week 3 was (590 ± 154)cm3,which was significantly smaller than (698 ± 135)cm3 before surgery.Compared with right liver volume at postoperative week 1,2,3,the right liver volume before operation was significantly smaller (F=15.62,P ＜0.05).The left hepatic volume at postoperative week 3 was (408 ± 149)cm3,which was significantly bigger than (331 ± 68)cm3 before operation.The left liver volume before operation was significantly different from those at postoperative week 1,2,3 (F =17.48,P ＜ 0.05).The predicted ratio of liver to be resected was 60％ ± 18％ at postoperative week 3,which was significantly smaller than 67％ ± 15％ before operation (F =12.35,P ＜ 0.05).Two patients with insufficient hyperplasia of offside liver,2 patients with intrahepatic metastasis at postoperative week 3,2 patients were lost to follow up and 3 patients gave up hepatectomy,14 patients received hepatectomy at 2-4 weeks after laparoscopic-guided selective portal vein ligation.The resection rate was 60.9％ (14/23).There were 2 patients received extended right hepatectomy,8 received right hepatectomy,4 received non-anatomical hepatectomy.All the 14 patients recovered well,and no hepatic failure,severe peritoneal effusion and infection was observed.Conclusion Laparoscopic-guided selective portal vein ligation is easy to perform,and it extends the indication of hepatectomy,increases the safety of two-stage hepatectomy. Key words: Liver neoplasms; Portal vein embolization; Portal vein ligation; Laparoscopy; Two-stage surgery

Remnant left liver size and recovery of living right liver donors.

Living donor liver transplantation is a realistic life-saving treatment in regions where deceased donor organs are scarce. The minimum remnant left liver volume (RLLV) requirement for donor right hepatectomy (DRH) varies in different programs of living donor liver transplantation. The present study aimed to determine how significant the RLLV is in the recovery of right liver donors. A total of 349 consecutive donors who underwent DRH including the middle hepatic vein were divided into nine groups according to the percentage of the RLLV. The peak and recovery of the serum bilirubin level and prothrombin time (PT) in the 1st week after operation and postoperative complications were studied. The median RLLV was 35.5 (27-49.5) %. Postoperative peak serum bilirubin was highest [74 (25-133) μmol/L] in the group with RLLVs <30%. This group also had the highest peak PT [18.9 (15.4-24.4) s], although results were similar between groups. Total bilirubin peaked on postoperative days 1-2 in groups with RLLVs ≥35%. In groups with RLLVs <35%, total bilirubin peaked on day 3. PT took 1-2days to peak and nearly approached preoperative values on day 7 in all groups. Complication rates ranged from 0 to 75%. The rates of complications of Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or above ranged from 0 to 3.8%. Postoperative peak bilirubin was associated with severe complications (p=0.031). Age, postoperative peak PT, and RLLV were independent risk factors for prolonged hospital stay. There was a demonstrable trend of slower recovery of liver function in donors with smaller RLLVs.

Volumetry-based selection of right posterior sector grafts for adult living donor liver transplantation

To determine the feasibility of volumetric criteria without anatomic exclusion for the selection of right posterior sector (RPS) grafts for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we reviewed and compared our transplant data for RPS grafts and right lobe (RL) grafts. Between January 2008 and September 2010, adult-to-adult LDLT was performed 65 times at our institute; 13 of the procedures (20%) were performed with RPS grafts [the posterior sector (PS) group], and 39 (60%) were performed with RL grafts (the RL group). The volumetry of the 13 RPS donor livers showed that the RPS volume was 39.8% ± 7.6% of the total liver volume. Ten of the 13 donors had to donate RPS grafts because the left liver volume was inadequate. All donor procedures were performed successfully, and all donors recovered from hepatectomy. However, longer operative times were required for the procurement of RPS grafts versus RL grafts (418 ± 40 versus 345 ± 48 minutes, P < 0.001). The postoperative recovery of liver function was smoother for the donors of the PS group versus the donors of the RL group. The RPS grafts had significantly smaller hepatic artery and bile duct openings than the RL grafts. All recipients with RPS grafts survived LDLT. No recipients experienced vascular graft complications or small-for-size graft dysfunction. There were no significant differences in the incidence of posttransplant complications between the donors and recipients of the PS and RL groups. The 3-year graft survival rates were favorable in both groups (100% in the PS group versus 91% in the RL group). In conclusion, the selection of RPS grafts by volume criteria is a feasible strategy for an adult-to-adult LDLT program.

Hepatic vein anatomy of the medial segment for living donor liver transplantation using extended right lobe graft

Hepatic vein anatomy (V4) of the medial segment (S4) has been a matter of concern since introduction of extended right lobe (ERL) graft. To assess risk of hepatic venous congestion (HVC) in ERL donors, we tried to newly classify V4 anatomy. We analyzed V4 anatomy of 328 living donor livers by using 3-dimensional reconstruction (3-DR) and volumetry of computed tomography (CT). Variations of V4 were divided into type A (middle hepatic vein [MHV] dominant: n = 142, 43.3%), type B (MHV-dominant, but enabling preservation of dorsal V4 branch [V4b]: n = 40, 12.2%), type C (mixed: n = 92, 28%), and type D (left hepatic vein dominant: n = 54, 16.5%). We analyzed the amount of HVC at S4 in 143 donor livers of right lobe (RL) and ERL grafts. Occlusion of MHV trunk induced HVC equivalent to 85.2%, 85.4%, 55.2%, and 35.4% of S4 volume and 34%, 33.9%, 20.3%, and 14.2% of left liver volume in livers of types A, B, C, and D, respectively. Tailored V4b preservation reduced HVC significantly in type B livers. Considering that functional capability may be decreased in HVC portion, functional hepatic resection rate (FHRR) of ERL graft procurement ranged as follows: 62.3%-75% in type A; 62.2%-75% and 62.2%-68.7% in type B with and without V4b preservation, respectively; 63.2%-70.7% in type C; and 61.8%-67.2% in type D. These results support the theory that these categories of V4 types are closely correlated with potential amount of HVC at S4, reflect the possibility of V4b preservation, and are compatible with CT findings. We believe that this V4 classification is applicable to assess donor V4 anatomy in practice.

Preoperative portal vein embolization: is it useful?

Portal vein embolization (PVE) before hepatectomy is aimed to induce an atrophy of the embolized lobe to be resected, with a compensatory hypertrophy of the counterlobe to be preserved. To answer the question "Is it useful?," we reviewed the clinical outcome in 161 patients undergoing major hepatectomy after PVE for various hepatobiliary tumors. All the patients tolerated PVE well, and hepatic functional data returned to the baseline levels within a week. The left liver volume increased by a median of 8% (range 2%-14%) after the right PVE. The 20 patients undergoing right hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma had a mean indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min of 16% (SD 4%), and the 24 patients with liver metastases underwent right hepatectomy with additional left liver resection. Hepatectomy procedures comprised right or extended right hepatectomy (n=105), left or extended left hepatectomy (n=13), hepatopancreato duodenectomy (n=12), and less extensive hepatectomies (n=31). As a whole, the operative morbidity and mortality rates were 19% and 1.2%, respectively. Hepatopancreato duodenectomy carried no operative mortality. The cumulative 5-year survival rates were 44% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 60% in patients with metastatic tumor. PVE is useful for performing extensive hepatectomy in patients with mild hepatic dysfunction, in those with bilobar tumors, or in those undergoing hepatopancreato duodenectomy.