Factors that predict survival in patients with cirrhosis considered for liver transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To identify prognostic factors for survival at 6 and 12 months in patients evaluated for liver transplantation using Child-Pugh (CP) classification and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. METHODS: We evaluated 144 patients with cirrhosis who were candidates for liver transplantation. We excluded patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, recent liver recipients, and patients who died because of factors unrelated to liver disease. The studied variables were age and sex; prothrombin time; platelet count; albumin, cholesterol, bilirubin, creatinine, and serum sodium concentrations; CP classification and MELD score; and the presence of ascites, encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and previous variceal bleeding. Data were processed using statistical software (SPSS version 13.0). RESULTS: Of the 144 patients, 27 (18.7%) did not survive because of complications of liver disease. Univariate analysis showed the most significant factors to be sex, prothrombin time, bilirubin and albumin levels; ascites, encephalopathy, CP classification, and MELD score. At Cox regression analysis, only CP classification proved to be a valid predictor of survival in our cohort. The lowest survival according to CP classification at 6 and 12 months corresponded to stage C and to MELD scores higher than 15. CONCLUSIONS: Child-Pugh classification is an independent prognostic factor for recipient survival. Stage C in the CP classification and a MELD score higher than 15 were strongly related to worse survival. Both scores must be taken into consideration for adequate evaluation of liver transplantation for candidates.

Results of liver transplantation at the Cuban Center for Medical and Surgical Research.

From July 4, 1999, when a liver transplantation program was started in Cuba, to December 30, 2007, we performed 125 procedures in 115 patients. The most frequent reasons for transplantation were cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C virus (29%) and alcoholic cirrhosis (17.2%). Two patients received simultaneous liver-kidney transplants. Sixty-seven patients were males, and the patient ages ranged from 12 to 74 years. The average surgical time was 6 hours, and cold ischemia time was 4 to 14 hours. The average blood consumption was 1630 mL; 2900 mL of plasma and 8 units of platelets were used in 7 cases. Immunosuppression was mainly cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone. Acute cellular rejections were treated in almost all cases with 3 doses of methylprednisolone. The most frequent complications were biliary (15%), hepatic arterial thrombosis (6%), postsurgical bleeding (8%), acute cellular rejection (20%), and ductopenic rejection (2%). The overall 1-year survival was 74.7%.

[Predictive factors of neurological complications in the period immediately after liver transplant: experiences in the Centro de Investigaciones Médico Quirúrgicas in Cuba]. / Factores predictivos de las complicaciones neurológicas en el postrasplante hepático inmediato: experiencia en el Centro de Investigaciones Médico Quirúrgicas de Cuba.

INTRODUCTION: Liver transplant (LT) is today a first choice procedure in a group of hepatic diseases in their acute and chronic terminal stages. It is not, however, a technique that is completely free of complications and those of a neurological nature constitute between 8 47% of those reported. AIMS. The purpose of this study is to present the immediate neurological complications (NC) found in our patients, as well as to determine the predictive factors and their relation to the mortality rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From the medical records of 26 patients who received LT at the CIMEQ (July 1999 December 2001), we collected a group of variables related to the donor, the surgical procedure and the post operative period and associated them to the occurrence of NC while these patients were in the ICU. RESULTS: NC were found in 16 patients (61.5%), the most frequent being encephalopathy (30.8%), tremor (26.9%), and convulsions (19.2%). No relation was found between the presence of NC and prior hepatic encephalopathy, the use of a suboptimal donor, nor did it represent a significant increase in the mortality rate. There was a significant relation with LT to recipients rated as grade C on the Child Pugh classification system, the presence of intraoperative hypotension (p= 0.0164) and primary dysfunction of the liver graft (p= 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: NC represented a significant cause of morbidity in the period following a liver transplant in our series, although they had no significant repercussion on the mortality rate. Their presence is related to variables concerning the recipient, the surgical procedure itself and the immediate post operative period.

Factores predictivos de las complicaciones neurológicas en el postrasplante hepático inmediato: experiencia en el Centro de Investigaciones Médico Quirúrgicas de Cuba / Predictive factors of neurological complications in the period immediately after liver transplant: experiences in the centro de investigaciones médico quirúrgicas in cuba

Introducción. El trasplante hepático (TH) es hoy en día un procedimiento de elección en un grupo de enfermedades hepáticas agudas y crónicas en estadio terminal. Sin embargo, no es una técnica exenta de complicaciones; las neurológicas se comunican entre el 8 y el 47 por ciento. Objetivos. Presentar las complicaciones neurológicas (CN) inmediatas encontradas en nuestros pacientes, así como determinar los factores predictivos y su relación con la mortalidad. Pacientes y métodos. De los expedientes clínicos de los 26 pacientes que fueron tributarios de TH en el CIMEQ (julio 1999-diciembre 2001), se recogió un grupo de variables relacionadas con el donante, el acto quirúrgico y el posoperatorio, y se relacionó con la presencia de CN durante su estancia en la UCI. Resultados. Encontramos CN en 16 pacientes (61,5 por ciento); las más frecuentes fueron la encefalopatía (30,8 por ciento), temblores (26,9 por ciento), y convulsiones (19,2 por ciento). No se encontró relación entre la presencia de CN, y encefalopatía hepática previa o con uso de donante subóptimo, ni representó un aumento significativo en la mortalidad. Existió una relación significativa con el TH a receptores grado C de la clasificación de Child-Pugh, la presencia de hipotensión intraoperatoria (p = 0,0164), y de disfunción primaria del injerto hepático (p = 0,041). Conclusiones. En nuestra serie, las CN representaron una morbilidad significativa en el postrasplante hepático, sin repercusión significativa en la mortalidad. Su presencia se relaciona con variables del receptor, del acto operatorio y del posoperatorio inmediato (AU)

Introduction. Liver transplant (LT) is today a first choice procedure in a group of hepatic diseases in their acute and chronic terminal stages. It is not, however, a technique that is completely free of complications and those of a neurological nature constitute between 8-47% of those reported. Aims. The purpose of this study is to present the immediate neurological complications (NC) found in our patients, as well as to determine the predictive factors and their relation to the mortality rate. Patients and methods. From the medical records of 26 patients who received LT at the CIMEQ (July 1999-December 2001), we collected a group of variables related to the donor, the surgical procedure and the post-operative period and associated them to the occurrence of NC while these patients were in the ICU. Results. NC were found in 16 patients (61.5%), the most frequent being encephalopathy (30.8%), tremor (26.9%), and convulsions (19.2%). No relation was found between the presence of NC and prior hepatic encephalopathy, the use of a suboptimal donor, nor did it represent a significant increase in the mortality rate. There was a significant relation with LT to recipients rated as grade C on the Child-Pugh classification system, the presence of intraoperative hypotension (p= 0.0164) and primary dysfunction of the liver graft (p= 0.041). Conclusions. NC represented a significant cause of morbidity in the period following a liver transplant in our series, although they had no significant repercussion on the mortality rate. Their presence is related to variables concerning the recipient, the surgical procedure itself and the immediate post-operative period (AU)

[Diaphragmatic hernia caused by penetrating injury: emergency laparoscopic reconstruction]. / Hernia diafragmática por herida penetrante: plastia laparoscópica de urgencia.

OBJECTIVE: To inform a patient with penetrating thoracic trauma and diaphragm injury that produced stomach herniation, being reduced the hernia and repaired the injury by laparoscopy though abdominal route with excellent result. REPORT: 17-years-old male, hemodynamically stable with penetrating injury in the fifth left intercostal space, at the level of the middle auxiliary line, pneumothorax and left diaphragmatic hernia. Treatment. A pleurostomy tube was inserted. By laparoscopy 600 mL of free blood in abdominal cavity were aspired, the stomach hernia was reduced and the diaphragmatic repair was performed with nylon 3-0 running suture. The evolution was excellent, being integrated to his work at the twentieth postoperative day. COMMENTARY: Our case supports that laparoscopic surgery is at therapeutic alternative in select cases of trauma.

Quiste diverticular del colédoco. Informe de dos casos / Diverticular cyst of the common bile duct. Report of two cases

Se presentan los casos de dos enfermas, que fueron operadas en este centro, encontrándose que padecían de quistes coledocianos. Una de ellas, de 60 años y la otra de 17. Resulta interesante, que dentro de los quistes de la primera se encontrasen cálculos, lo que no es frecuente. Se realizó derivación interna en uno de los casos y ambos, evolutivamente, se mantienen bien. Se revisa la bibliografía (AU)