Venous Deprivation Research Articles

Preoperative Portal Vein Embolization Alone with Biliary Drainage Compared to a Combination of Simultaneous Portal Vein, Right Hepatic Vein Embolization and Biliary Drainage in Klatskin Tumor

To compare estimated future remnant liver (FRL) growth following portal vein embolization or liver venous deprivation (LVD) (combined PVE and right hepatic vein embolization), before surgery for a Klatskin tumor in patients who receive intraoperative biliary drainage or before venous interventional radiology. Six patients underwent LVD and six underwent PVE alone before hepatectomy for a Klatskin tumor. Before embolization, the FRL ratio, prothrombin time and bilirubin levels were similar in both groups. The FRL was determined before and 3weeks after embolization by enhanced CT. PVE was performed with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, and the right hepatic vein was embolized with vascular plugs during the same procedure. Biliary drainage was performed percutaneously or by endoscopy. Post-hepatectomy liver function and duration of hospital stay were assessed. There were no adverse events. The median FRL ratio was significantly higher following LVD than after PVE 58% (54-71) and 37% (30-44), respectively, p = 0.017. The FRL volume after embolization was 1.6 times higher after LVD than PVE (p = 0.016). Four and five patients were operated in the LVD and PVE groups, respectively. There was a trend toward a shorter median postoperative hospital stay and 90-day mortality in the LVD versus PVE group: 14 versus 44days, (p = 0.114) and 0 versus two deaths (p = 0.429), respectively. LVD associated with biliary drainage is safe and results in a better FRL ratio than biliary drainage associated with PVE alone.

Benign and malignant hepatocellular lesions in patients with vascular liver diseases.

A variety of vascular liver disorders can induce hepatocellular tumors. They may be related to portal venous deprivation, venous outflow obstruction, or arterial diseases. Their common feature is an imbalance between hepatic arterial and portal venous blood flow leading to an increased hepatic arterial inflow. Consequently, hepatocellular tumors may arise, most commonly focal nodular hyperplasia-like lesions but hepatocellular adenomas and hepatocellular carcinoma may be seen as well. This article will review the most common vascular liver diseases associated with hepatocellular nodules (Budd-Chiari syndrome, congenital portosystemic shunt, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, and portal cavernoma). For each condition, imaging findings will be described as well as the differential diagnosis and the diagnostic clues.

Simultaneous trans-hepatic portal and hepatic vein embolization before major hepatectomy: the liver venous deprivation technique.

To assess technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the liver venous deprivation (LVD) technique that combines both portal and hepatic vein embolization during the same procedure for liver preparation before major hepatectomy. Seven patients (mean age:63.6y[42-77y]) underwent trans-hepatic LVD for liver metastases (n = 2), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 1), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 3) and Klatskin tumour (n = 1). Assessment of future remnant liver (FRL) volume, liver enzymes and histology was performed. Technical success was 100%. No complication occurred before surgery. Resection was performed in 6/7 patients. CT-scan revealed hepatic congestion in the venous-deprived area (6/7 patients). A mean of 3days (range: 1-8days) after LVD, transaminases increased (AST: from 42 ± 24U/L to 103 ± 118U/L, ALT: from 45 ± 25U/L to 163 ± 205U/L). Twenty-three days (range: 13-30days) after LVD, FRL increased from 28.2% (range: 22.4-33.3%) to 40.9% (range: 33.6-59.3%). During the first 7days, venous-deprived liver volume increased (+13.4%) probably reflecting vascular congestion, whereas it strongly decreased (-21.3%) at 3-4 weeks. Histology (embolized lobe) revealed sinusoidal dilatation, hepatocyte necrosis and important atrophy in all patients. Trans-hepatic LVD technique is feasible, well tolerated and provides fast and important hypertrophy of the FRL. This new technique needs to be further evaluated and compared to portal vein embolization. • Twenty-three days after LVD, FRL increased from 28.2% (range:22.4-33.3%) to 40.9% (range:33.6-59.3%) • During the first 7days, venous-deprived liver volume increased (+13.4%) • Venous-deprived liver volume strongly decreased (mean atrophy:229cc; -21.3%) at 3-4 weeks • Histology of venous-deprived liver revealed sinusoidal dilatation, hepatocyte necrosis and important atrophy.

Portal vein embolization for induction of selective hepatic hypertrophy prior to major hepatectomy: rationale, techniques, outcomes and future directions.

The ability to modulate the future liver remnant (FLR) is a key component of modern oncologic hepatobiliary surgery practice and has extended surgical candidacy for patients who may have been previously thought unable to survive liver resection. Multiple techniques have been developed to augment the FLR including portal vein embolization (PVE), associating liver partition and portal vein ligation (ALPPS), and the recently reported transhepatic liver venous deprivation (LVD). PVE is a well-established means to improve the safety of liver resection by redirecting blood flow to the FLR in an effort to selectively hypertrophy and ultimately improve functional reserve of the FLR. This article discusses the current practice of PVE with focus on summarizing the large number of published reports from which outcomes based practices have been developed. Both technical aspects of PVE including volumetry, approaches, and embolization agents; and clinical aspects of PVE including data supporting indications, and its role in conjunction with chemotherapy and transarterial embolization will be highlighted. PVE remains an important aspect of oncologic care; in large part due to the substantial foundation of information available demonstrating its clear clinical benefit for hepatic resection candidates with small anticipated FLRs.

Arterialised hepatic nodules in the Fontan circulation: Hepatico-cardiac interactions

Hypervascular nodules occur commonly when there is hepatic venous outlet obstruction. Their nature and determinants in the Fontan circulation is poorly understood. We reviewed the records of 27 consecutive Fontan patients who had computerized tomography scan (CT) over a 4year period for arterialised nodules and alterations in hepatic flow patterns during contrast enhanced CT scans and related these findings to cardiac characteristics. Mean patient age was 24±5.8years, (range 16.7–39.8) and mean Fontan duration was 16.8±4.8years (range 7.3–28.7). Twenty-two patients demonstrated a reticular pattern of enhancement, 4 a zonal pattern and only 1 demonstrated normal enhancement pattern. Seven (26%) patients had a median of 4 (range 1–22) arterialised nodules, mean size 1.8cm (range 0.5 to 3.2cm). All nodules were located in the liver periphery, their outer aspect lying within 2cm of the liver margin. Patients with nodules had higher mean RA pressures (18mmHg±5.6 vs. 13mmHg±4, p=0.025), whereas their mixed venous saturation and aortic saturation was not significantly different (70%±11 vs. 67%±9 and 92%±10 vs. 94%±4, p>0.05). Post-mortem histology suggests focal nodular hyperplasia is the underlying pathology. ConclusionsAbnormalities of hepatic blood flow and the presence of arterialised nodules are common in the failing Fontan circulation. They occur especially when central venous pressures are high, and very likely indicate arterialisation of hepatic blood flow and reciprocal portal venous deprivation. The underlying pathology is most likely focal nodular hyperplasia.

Impact of localized congestion related to venous deprivation after hepatectomy

We sought to assess the impact of localized venous congestion related to venous deprivation on liver function recovery and regeneration after hepatectomy, using the living donation model. Harvesting the middle hepatic vein (MHV) optimizes the venous drainage of right grafts but could lead to donor segment IV congestion. In a series of 44 donors, 25 underwent right liver harvesting without the MHV and 19 with the MHV. The venous drainage anatomy of segment IV was defined as type I if exclusive through the MHV and type II if shared through the left hepatic vein. We prospectively studied the occurrence, magnitude (global or partial), and regeneration impacts of segment IV congestion on computed tomography (CT) performed 1 week and 1 month after surgery. Early postoperative CT showed that segment IV congestion was never observed in the group without MHV harvesting, and it was present in 16 (84%) of 19 donors with MHV harvesting. Segment IV congestion was global in 9 donors, including 7 with type I anatomy. Postoperative data comparing data of the 9 donors with global congestion (GC) with other donors showed that the prothrombin time was significantly (P < .05) lower on day 1 and 5 (53% vs 63% and 76% vs 86%, respectively), and segment IV regeneration rate was lower (3.6% vs 11%) in the former group. However, a higher regeneration rate of segments II and III in the GC group (11.8% vs 3.6%) resulted in a similar regeneration rate of the remnant liver 1 month after hepatectomy (59.4 +/- 12% vs 57.8 +/- 12.4%). Postoperative localized venous congestion is highly related to venous anatomy and affects both early postoperative liver function and regeneration rate. Based on this living donor model, we suggest that venous anatomy evaluation of the future remnant liver parenchyma be performed systematically before extended resection of living small or diseased remnants.