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.

ABO incompatible living donor liver transplantation using dual grafts and pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy: A case report.

RATIONALE: Because of the shortage of deceased donors, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has become the main procedure to treat patients with end-stage liver disease in Asian countries. However, many potential donors are excluded because of donor safety and graft volume issues. In addition, large abdominal wounds after open surgery for hepatectomy could be a reason for hesitating to agree to liver donation, particularly when attempting to recruit young female donors. PATIENT CONCERNS: On volumetric computed tomography (CT) examination, remnant liver volume was too small to guarantee the safety of the male donor, and the right hemiliver volume of the female donor was not sufficient to meet the recipient's metabolic demand. The young female donor also worried about a large abdominal wound following open surgery. INTERVENTIONS: We performed ABO-incompatible LDLT using dual grafts and right-sided graft was obtained by pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy in a young female donor. OUTCOMES: The postoperative course was uneventful in both donors and the recipient is presently doing well in satisfactory condition 7 months after liver transplantation. LESSONS: We overcame these volumetric and cosmetic issues through dual living donor liver grafts using a combination of conventional surgery for 1 donor and laparoscopic right hepatectomy for a second ABO-incompatible donor. We think this procedure can be a good option for the expansion of donor pools.

Predictive Factors for Long Operative Duration in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy After Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiography for Combined Choledochocystolithiasis.

PURPOSE: Choledochocystolithiasis and its associated complications such as cholangitis and pancreatitis are managed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC), with endoscopic stone extraction followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). However, affected patients present with complex conditions linked to operative difficulties in performing LC. The aim of this study was to elucidate the predictive factors for a prolonged LC procedure following ERC for treating patients with choledochocystolithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 109 patients who underwent LC after ERC for choledochocystolithiasis from September 2012 to August 2014 were evaluated retrospectively. The cases were divided into long and short operative duration groups using a cutoff operative time of 90 minutes. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to investigate predictive factors associated with long operative duration according to clinical variables, ERC-related factors, and peak serum levels of laboratory test values between the initial presentation and LC (intervening period). RESULTS: Seventeen patients needed >90 min to complete LC. The presence of acute cholecystitis, placement of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage, higher peak serum white blood cell count and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), and lower peak serum levels of lipase during the intervening period were associated with prolonged operative duration. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent predictive factors for long operative duration were the presence of acute cholecystitis (hazard ratio, 5.418; P=0.016) and higher peak levels of CRP (hazard ratio, 1.077; P=0.022). CONCLUSION: When patients with choledochocystolithiasis are scheduled for LC after ERC, the presence of acute cholecystitis and high CRP levels during the intervening period could predict a protracted operation.

Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage followed by elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for patients with moderate to severe acute cholecystitis.

Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PTGBD+LC) is one treatment option for patients with moderate to severe acute cholecystitis (AC). However, the impact of PTGBD on operative difficulties in performing LC is controversial. We designed this retrospective study to clarify the surgical outcomes after PTGBD+LC for the management of patients with moderate to severe AC.The medical records of 85 patients who underwent LC for moderate to severe AC from January 2013 to September 2016 were evaluated. They were divided into 2 groups based on the type of management: group A received PTGBD+LC, and group B received LC without drainage. We compared the patient characteristics, laboratory data which were obtained immediately before surgery or PTGBD at index admission, and surgical outcomes between the 2 groups. We also evaluated possible predictive factors associated with prolonged operative duration after PTGBD+LC.Patients in group A were older and had more comorbidities than those in group B. The laboratory tests obtained at index admission in group A showed higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and alkaline phosphatase, and lower albumin levels than those in group B. The surgical outcomes after LC were similar between the 2 groups. However, operative duration was significantly shorter in group A (P = .012). In group A, a higher serum level of CRP was a predictive factor for a prolonged operation (hazard ratio 1.126; 95% confidence interval 1.012-1.253; P = .029). In conclusion, PTGBD+LC can shorten the operative duration in patients with moderate to severe AC, which might improve surgical outcomes in elderly patients with comorbidities, and elevated CRP values predicted a prolonged operation after PTGBD.

Pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy in a living donor with type 3a biliary variation: A case report.

RATIONALE: With refinements in the operative technique, laparoscopic surgery has become the standard practice for liver resection. In the field of living donor liver transplantation, a few centers adopted laparoscopic surgery as an alternative to conventional open donor hepatectomy, and the application of pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy has been limited to the donors with simple, favorable biliary anatomy. PATIENT CONCERNS: The candidate donor was a 19-year-old woman with type 3a bile duct variation. INTERVENTIONS: After confirming precise cutting points under the guidance of a radiopaque marker rubber band, the bile ducts were divided and the remnant stumps were closed with suture and clipping using Hem-o-lok, respectively. OUTCOMES: The postoperative course was uneventful and she was satisfactory 6 months after surgery. LESSONS: A laparoscopic donor hepatectomy for the living donor with biliary variation was feasible. Biliary variations are commonly encountered during living donor surgery, and we think that such variations in laparoscopic donor hepatectomy need to be overcome to expand the selection criteria.

Impact of clinically significant portal hypertension on surgical outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The roles of portal hypertension (PHT) on the postoperative course after hepatectomy are still debated. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes of hepatectomy in patients with PHT. METHODS: Data from 152 cirrhotic patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were collected retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups according to the preoperative presence of PHT as follows: 44 patients with PHT and 108 without PHT. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to overcome selection biases. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in morbidity (56.8% vs. 51.9%, p=0.578) and 90-days mortality (4.5% vs. 4.6%, p=0.982) between the two groups. Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) was not significantly different between the two groups (43.2% vs. 35.2%, p=0.356). Patients without PHT had a better 5-year disease-free survival than those with PHT, although the difference did not reach statistical significance (30.9% vs. 17.2%, p=0.081). Five-year overall survivals were not significantly different between the two groups (46.6% vs. 54.9%, p=0.724). Repeat analyses after PSM showed similar rates of morbidity (p=0.819), mortality (p=0.305), PHLF (p=0.648), disease-free survival (p=0.241), and overall survival (p=0.619). The presence of PHT was not associated with either short-term or long-term poor surgical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Child-Pugh A and B patients with PHT have surgical outcomes similar to those without PHT. Hepatectomy can be safely performed and can also be considered as a potentially curative treatment in HCC patients with PHT.

Distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer invading celiac axis.

PURPOSE: Pancreatic body/tail cancer often involves the celiac axis (CA) and it is regarded as an unresectable disease. To treat the disease, we employed distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) and reviewed our experiences. METHODS: We performed DP-CAR for seven patients with pancreatic body/tail cancer involving the CA. The indications of DP-CAR initially included tumors with definite invasion of CA and were later expanded to include borderline resectable disease. To determine the efficacy of DP-CAR, the clinico-pathological data of patients who underwent DP-CAR were compared to both distal pancreatectomy (DP) group and no resection (NR) group. RESULTS: The R0 resection rate was 71.4% and was not statistically different compared to DP group. The operative time (P = 0.018) and length of hospital stay (P = 0.022) were significantly longer in DP-CAR group but no significant difference was found in incidence of the postoperative pancreatic fistula compared to DP group. In DP-CAR group, focal hepatic infarction and transient hepatopathy occurred in 1 patient and 3 patients, respectively. No mortality occurred in DP-CAR group. The median survival time (MST) was not statistically different compared to DP group. However, the MST of DP-CAR group was significantly longer than that of NR group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In our experience, DP-CAR was safe and offered high R0 resection rate for patients with pancreatic body/tail cancer with involvement of CA. The effect on survival of DP-CAR is comparable to DP and better than that of NR. However, the benefits need to be verified by further studies in the future.