Results of a survey on peri-operative nutritional support in pancreatic and biliary surgery in Spain / Resultados de una encuesta sobre el soporte nutricional perioperatorio en la cirugía pancreática y biliar en España

INTRODUCTION: a survey on peri-operative nutritional support in pancreatic and biliary surgery among Spanish hospitals in 2007 showed that few surgical groups followed the 2006 ESPEN guidelines. Ten years later we sent a questionnaire to check the current situation. METHODS: a questionnaire with 21 items sent to 38 centers, related to fasting time before and after surgery, nutritional screening use and type, time and type of peri-operative nutritional support, and number of procedures. RESULTS: thirty-four institutions responded. The median number of pancreatic resections (head/total) was 29.5 (95% CI: 23.0-35; range, 5-68) (total, 1002); of surgeries for biliary malignancies (non-pancreatic), 9.8 (95% CI: 7.3-12.4; range, 2-30); and of main biliary resections for benign conditions, 10.4 (95% CI: 7.6-13.3; range, 2-33). Before surgery, only 41.2% of the sites used nutritional support (< 50% used any nutritional screening procedure). The mean duration of preoperative fasting for solid foods was 9.3 h (range, 6-24 h); it was 6.6 h for liquids (range, 2-12). Following pancreatic surgery, 29.4% tried to use early oral feeding, but 88.2% of the surveyed teams used some nutritional support; 26.5% of respondents used TPN in 100% of cases. Different percentages of TPN and EN were used in the other centers. In malignant biliary surgery, 22.6% used TPN always, and EN in 19.3% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: TPN is the commonest nutrition approach after pancreatic head surgery. Only 29.4% of the units used early oral feeding, and 32.3% used EN; 22.6% used TPN regularly after surgery for malignant biliary tumours. The 2006 ESPEN guideline recommendations are not regularly followed 12 years after their publication in our country

INTRODUCCIÓN: realizamos una encuesta sobre soporte nutricional perioperatorio en cirugía pancreática y biliar en hospitales españoles en 2007, que mostró que pocos grupos quirúrgicos seguían las guías de ESPEN 2006. Diez años después enviamos un cuestionario para comprobar la situación actual. MÉTODOS: treinta y ocho centros recibieron un cuestionario con 21 preguntas sobre tiempo de ayunas antes y después de la cirugía, cribado nutricional, duración y tipo de soporte nutricional perioperatorio, y número de procedimientos. RESULTADOS: respondieron 34 grupos. La mediana de pancreatectomías (cabeza/total) fue de 29,5 (IC 95 %: 23,0-35; rango, 5-68) (total, 1002), la de cirugías biliares malignas de 9,8 (IC 95 %: 7,3-12,4; rango, 2-30) y la de resecciones biliares por patología benigna de 10,4 (IC 95 %: 7,6-13,3; rango, 2-33). Solo el 41,2 % de los grupos utilizaban soporte nutricional antes de la cirugía (< 50 % habian efectuado un cribado nutricional). El tiempo medio de ayuno preoperatorio para sólidos fue de 9,3 h (rango, 6-24 h), y de 6,6 h para líquidos (rango, 2-12). Tras la pancreatectomía, el 29,4 % habían intentado administrar una dieta oral precoz, pero el 88,2 % de los grupos usaron algún tipo de soporte nutricional y el 26,5 % usaron NP en el 100 % de los casos. Los demás grupos usaron diferentes porcentajes de NP y NE en sus casos. En la cirugía biliar maligna, el 22,6 % utilizaron NP siempre y NE en el 19,3 % de los casos. CONCLUSIONES: la NP es el soporte nutricional más utilizado tras la cirugía de cabeza pancreática. Solo el 29,4 % de las unidades usan nutrición oral precoz y el 32,3 % emplean la NE tras este tipo de cirugía. El 22,6 % de las instituciones usan NP habitualmente tras la cirugía de tumores biliares malignos. Las guías ESPEN 2006 no se siguen de forma habitual en nuestro país tras más de 10 años desde su publicación

Is transarterial chemoembolization necessary before liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) before liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been proposed to prevent tumor progression, thus decreasing tumor recurrence and increasing survival. METHODS: We studied 46 patients undergoing LT for HCC who were divided in 2 groups--group A with pretransplant TACE (18 patients [39.1%]) and group B without pretransplant TACE (28 patients [60.9%])--and compared postoperative and long-term results between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in morbidity, transfusion needles, and postoperative time between-and no acute arterial or portal complication in-the 2 groups. There were no statistical differences in tumor recurrence (16.7 % vs 36.4 %, P=.16) with regard to pathway (mainly extrahepatic) or time. In group A patients, mean survival was 89.3+/-21.7 months with 1-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial survival rates of 83.3%, 60.5%, and 60.5%, respectively. In group B patients, mean survival was 75.1+/-19.1 months with 1-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial survival rates of 77.2%, 58.7%, and 38.1%, respectively. The differences in mean survival were not statistically significant (PX .56), nor was 5-year disease-free survival, which was 54% in group A and 39.5% in group B (P=.8). CONCLUSIONS: TACE is a safe procedure for candidates on the wait list who are scheduled for LT to treat HCC. Although TACE does not correlate with increased intraoperative difficulties or postoperative complications, it does not significantly improve tumor recurrence and survival.