Hepatic artery stenosis following adult liver transplantation: evaluation of different endovascular treatment approaches.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hepatic artery interventions (HAI) versus extra-hepatic arterial interventions (EHAI) when managing clinically significant hepatic artery stenosis (HAS) after adult orthotopic liver transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on liver transplant patients who underwent intervention for clinically significant HAS from September 2012 to September 2021. The HAI treatment arm included hepatic artery angioplasty and/or stent placement while the EHAI treatment arm comprised of non-hepatic visceral artery embolization. Primary outcomes included peri-procedural complications and 1-year liver-related deaths. Secondary outcomes included biliary ischemic events, longitudinal trends in liver enzymes and ultrasound parameters pre-and post-intervention. RESULTS: The HAI arm included 21 procedures in 18 patients and the EHAI arm included 27 procedures in 22 patients. There were increased 1-year liver-related deaths (10% [2/21] vs 0% [0/27], p = 0.10) and complications (29% [6/21] vs 4% [1/27], p = 0.015) in the HAI group compared to the EHAI group. Both HAI and EHAI groups exhibited similar improvements in transaminitis including changes of ALT (-72 U/L vs -112.5 U/L, p = 0.60) and AST (-58 U/L vs -48 U/L, p = 0.56) at 1-month post-procedure. Both treatment arms demonstrated increases in post-procedural peak systolic velocity of the hepatic artery distal to the stenosis, while the HAI group also showed significant improvement in resistive indices following the intervention. CONCLUSION: Direct hepatic artery interventions remain the definitive treatment for clinically significant hepatic artery stenosis; however, non-hepatic visceral artery embolization can be considered a safe alternative intervention in cases of unfavorable hepatic anatomy.

The effectiveness of locoregional therapies versus supportive care in maintaining survival within the Milan criteria in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To compare survival after treatment with either locoregional therapy (LRT) or supportive care in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with HCC who were classified within the Milan criteria (solitary HCC

Prognostic factors for survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing chemoembolization with doxorubicin drug-eluting beads: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with drug-eluting beads (DEB) is a new treatment modality. Little is known about prognostic factors affecting survival after DEB TACE for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Patients who underwent TACE with doxorubicin DEB for unresectable HCC during 2006-2008 were studied. Survival was calculated from the day of first transcatheter therapy. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimations. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Fifty patients underwent chemoembolization with doxorubicin DEB. They included 39 women and 11 men, with a median age of 57.5 years (range 28-91 years). Eighteen patients died during the study period and 32 remained alive. Overall survival rates at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years from the first administration of doxorubicin DEB TACE were 71%, 65% and 51%, respectively. Prognostic factors found to be significant on univariate analysis were Child-Pugh class, Okuda staging, bilirubin > 2 mg/dl, albumin < 3.0 g/dl, Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, serum alphafetoprotein (AFP), Cancer of the Liver Italian Programme (CLIP) score, tumour satisfying Milan criteria, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging. CONCLUSIONS: Child-Pugh class, Okuda staging, bilirubin > 2 mg/dl, albumin < 3 g/dl, MELD score, serum AFP, CLIP score, Milan criteria, ECOG PS and BCLC staging were found to be prognostic markers of survival after treatment with doxorubicin DEB TACE in patients with unresectable HCC.

Comparison of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and chemoembolization with doxorubicin drug eluting beads (DEB) for unresectable hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chemoembolization with doxorubicin drug eluting beads (DEB) is a novel locoregional treatment modality for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Initial animal studies and clinical trials suggest that treatment with DEB may provide safer and more effective short-term outcomes than conventional chemoembolization. Current study explores long-term survival benefits. METHODS: Consecutive patients who received transcatheter therapy with DEB or conventional chemoembolization as sole therapy between 1998 and 2008 were studied. Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimator with log-rank testing, chi-squared, and independent t-tests. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were included in this study, 45 (63.4%) received therapy with DEB (group A) and 26 (36.6%) underwent conventional chemoembolization (group B). Median survival from diagnosis of HCC in groups A and B were 610 (351-868) and 284 days (4-563; P = 0.03), respectively. In Okuda stage I, survival in groups A and B were 501 (421-528) and 354 days (148-560, P = 0.02). In Child-Pugh classes A and B, survival in groups A and B were 641 (471-810) and 323 days (161-485, P = 0.002). Median survival in patients with Cancer of Liver Italian Program (CLIP) score