Hepatectomía derecha totalmente laparoscópica para trasplante hepático con donante vivo adulto-adulto: técnica quirúrgica y experiencia inicial en Chile / Pure laparoscopic right hepatectomy for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation: surgical technique and initial experience in Chile

Resumen El trasplante hepático con donante vivo (THDV) es un procedimiento complejo y desafiante para el cirujano, ya que exige garantizar tanto la máxima seguridad para el donante, así como también, la mejor calidad del injerto para el receptor. Debido a lo anterior, la implementación de la cirugía mini-invasiva ha sido lenta en esta área. Sin embargo, en los últimos 10 años, gracias a los avances que ha experimentado la cirugía hepática laparoscópica, ha aumentado el interés de algunos grupos altamente especializados por incorporar la cirugía mini-invasiva a la cirugía del donante, principalmente en trasplante hepático donante vivo adulto-pediátrico (THDVA-P). Los favorables resultados obtenidos en esta área incluso han llevado a los expertos en el tema, a categorizar el abordaje laparoscópico para la cirugía del donante como el procedimiento estándar en THDVA-P. Contrario a lo anterior, la implementación de la laparoscopía para trasplante hepático donante vivo adulto-adulto (THDVA-A), es más compleja y requiere en su mayoría, una hepatectomía de lóbulo derecho o izquierdo para cumplir con las necesidades volumétricas del receptor. Esta cirugía es de mayor dificultad y riesgo para el donante, por lo que su indicación por vía mini-invasiva está limitada a centros de alto volumen y preparación, tanto en laparoscopía, como en trasplante hepático. En este trabajo, se busca dar a conocer la técnica quirúrgica y nuestra experiencia inicial con la primera hepatectomía derecha totalmente laparoscópica (HDTL) para THDVA-A realizada en Chile.

Living donor liver transplantation is a complex and challenging procedure. The surgeon needs to guarantee maximum safety for the donor, as well as the best quality of the graft for the recipient. For this reason, the implementation of mini-invasive surgery has been slow in this area. However, in the last 10 years, due to the advances in laparoscopic liver surgery, the interest of some highly specialized groups has increased in incorporating mini-invasive surgery into donor surgery, mainly in pediatric living donor liver transplantation. The favorable results obtained in this field, have even led to turn this procedure, into the technique of choice for pediatric living donor liver transplantation. Nevertheless, this procedure is even more challenging for adult-to-adult living donor transplantation. To meet the volumetric criteria of an adult, a complete hepatectomy of right or left lobe is mostly required. This surgery is of greater complexity and risk for the donor, so its indication by minimally invasive approach is limited to high-volume centers with preparation, both in laparoscopy and liver transplants. In this report we seek to present our surgical technique and initial experience with the first pure laparoscopic right hepatectomy for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation carried out in Chile.

Contained rupture of a large right hepatic artery aneurysm: the ticking bomb within!

Hepatic artery aneurysms (HAAs) are rare and represents one fifth of visceral aneurysms. We report a case of a 75 year old female who presented to the outpatient department with complaints of abdominal pain and anorexia for 2 weeks. On examination the patient was stable, she had mild tenderness in the right hypochondrial region. Ultrasound abdomen showed an intrahepatic cystic area with both arterial and venous flow, suggesting the possibility of an intrahepatic arteriovenous malformation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography abdomen showed a large right HAA with contained rupture and intra hepatic extension. She was posted for emergency laparotomy and was found to have a contained rupture a contained rupture of the right HAA of size 10×8 cm with intra hepatic extension. Right hepatectomy was done and the resected margin of liver showed a dilated cystic space with blood clot. Histopathological examination showed intrahepatic aneurysm with atherosclerosis and laminated luminal thrombus. Contained rupture of HAAs with intrahepatic extension are rare. Even though the prevalence of HAAs is low, the risk of rupture is reported to be as high as 20-80% and the mortality following spontaneous rupture is 40%. Hence an aggressive approach to the management of HAA is required whenever detected.

A Single Center Experience for a Feasibility of Totally Laparoscopic Living Donor Right Hepatectomy

PURPOSE: Donor safety is the most important problem of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Although laparoscopic liver resection has gained popularity with increased surgical experience and the development of laparoscopes and specialized instruments, a totally laparoscopic living donor right hepatectomy (LDRH) technique has not been investigated for efficacy and feasibility. We describe the experiences and outcomes associated with LDRH in adult-to-adult LDLT in order to assess the safety of the totally laparoscopic technique in donors. METHODS: Between May 2016 and July 2017, we performed hepatectomies in 22 living donors using a totally laparoscopic approach. Among them, 20 donors underwent LDRH. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records to ascertain donor safety and the reproducibility of LDRH; intra-operative and post-operative results including complications were demonstrated after performing LDRH. RESULTS: The median donor age was 29 years old and the median body mass index was 22.6 kg/m2. The actual graft weight was 710 g and graft weight/body weight (GRWR) was 1.125. No donors required blood transfusion, conversion to open surgery, or reoperation. The postoperative mortality was nil and postoperative complications were identified in two donors. One had fluid collection in the supra-pubic incision site for graft retrieval and the second had a minor bile leakage from the cutting edge of the right hepatic duct stump. All the liver function tests returned to normal ranges within one month. CONCLUSION: LDRH is a feasible operation owing to low blood loss and few complications. However, LDRH can be initially attempted after attaining sufficient experience in laparoscopic hepatectomy and LDLT techniques.

Prognostic effect of preoperative sequential transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and portal vein embolization for right hepatectomy in patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Both preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) alone and portal vein embolization (PVE) alone have a detrimental prognostic effect on the post-resection outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The main objective of this study was to assess the prognostic impact of preoperative TACE on the long-term survival outcomes in patients undergoing preoperative PVE and right liver resection for solitary HCC. METHODS: Patients who underwent macroscopic curative right liver resection of solitary HCC that lied between 3.0 and 7.0 cm (n=113) with or without preoperative TACE and PVE were selected for the study, making these subjects were divided into three groups; the TACE-PVE group (n=27), the PVE-alone group (n=13), and the control group (n=73). The subjects in the three groups were followed up for > or =36 months or until death. RESULTS: The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year overall patient survival rates of all 113 patients were 96.5%, 88.2%, 81.3% and 65.0%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year overall patient survival rates were 96.3%, 83.4%, 83.4% and 47.6% respectively in the TACE-PVE group; 84.6%, 76.9%, 57.7% and 19.2% respectively in the PVE-alone group; and 98.6%, 91.7%, 85.1% and 81.7% respectively in the control group (p=0.047). Patients were also sub-grouped according to tumor size, and those with a tumor of up to cutoff at 5 cm showed no prognostic difference (p=0.774), but tumor size >5 cm was associated with inferior patient survival only in the TACE-PVE group (p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative sequential TACE and PVE appear to be compliant to the conventional oncological concept in addition to induction of the future remnant liver regeneration. Therefore, we suggest that preoperative TACE should be come first whenever preoperative PVE for major hepatectomy is planned, especially in patients with hypervascular HCC tumors.

Total Laparoscopic Right Hepatectomy

Until now, reports on laparoscopic liver resections have mainly involved the antero-lateral segments (Couinaud segments II~VI), but those on laparoscopic major liver resection including a right hepatectomy are rare. Herein, we report on two total laparoscopic right hepatectomy cases. One patient was a 69-year-old female, with a hepatocellular carcinoma, and the other a 59-year-old female, with right intrahepatic duct stones. A total laparoscopic right hepatectomy was performed using four or five trocars. After cholecystectomy, the right liver was dissected from the IVC and surrounding ligaments until the right hepatic vein was visualized. After full mobilization of the right liver, the right portal vein, hepatic artery and bile duct were dissected and individually divided. The hepatic parenchyma was dissected along the ischemic line, using a Harmonic scalpel, into the superficial parenchyma and CUSA into the deep parenchyma. The large branches of the hepatic veins were controlled with endoclips. The right hepatic vein was transected with endo-GIA. The epigastric trocar site was extensionally incised for removal of the specimen. The operative times were 385 and 480 minutes the first and second case, respectively. Intraoperative transfusion was needed in the second patient due to biliary cirrhosis and distorted anatomy associated with an IHD stone. The two patients were discharged on postoperative days 15 and 6, respectively, without postoperative complications. These cases confirm that a total laparoscopic right hepatectomy is a feasible and safe operation. However, the technical problems, such as long operation time and bleeding during liver parenchymal resection, should be resolved in order that this procedure can be accomplished more safely.

Changes of Coagulation Status and Implication for the Use of Epidural Catheter after Donor Right Hepatectomy / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Living donors for liver transplantations may have a low pain threshold and should be given effective postoperative pain control. However, epidural catheterization has been the subject of intense debate because of the possibility of severe coagulation derangement after a right hepatectomy. This study examined the changes in the coagulation status in right lobe donors. METHODS: The charts and computerized hospital data of 261 consecutive living donors who had undergone right hepatectomy were retrospectively reviewed. The coagulation profile including the platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was analyzed at the preoperative period, immediately after surgery, and 5 days after surgery. RESULTS: The platelet count decreased significantly from immediately after surgery until postoperative day (POD) 5 (P 2.0 INR in only 4 donors (1.5%). The aPTT immediately after surgery showed severe prolongation (P < 0.001), but recovered rapidly on POD 1. CONCLUSIONS: Right lobe donors showed postoperative coagulation derangement but the changes appear to be acceptable for the maintenance and removal of the epidural catheters. These results suggest that careful epidural catheterizations are relatively safe in right lobe donors.