Measurements between the hepatic veins and portal venous system, in human cirrhotic liver: a cast study.

PURPOSE: To measure the distance between the right and middle hepatic veins and portal vein branches, in human cirrhotic liver casts. Was this measure actually smaller in the cirrhotic liver than in normal one? MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was authorized by an area Research Ethics Committee, and each study subject or legal representative granted signed informed consent. Acrylic corrosion casts of 21 resected cirrhotic livers were generated. Diameters of hepatic veins and portal branches and pertinent intervening distances were measured. To assess differences in estimated average (relative to reference values), Student's t test for one sample was applied. RESULTS: Mean distances from right hepatic vein to the right portal branch and to portal vein bifurcation were 33 ± 6.4 and 36 ± 7.4 mm, respectively, both significantly less than published reference values in healthy human livers (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0002, respectively). Mean distances from middle hepatic vein to right and left branches of portal vein were 36 ± 6.8 and 26 ± 8.8 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: Distances separating right hepatic vein and portal vein (right branch and bifurcation) are diminished in cirrhotic livers compared to healthy ones. Given its caliber and proximity to portal branches, the middle hepatic vein remains as a reasonable alternative for TIPS procedures.

Preditores de injúria renal aguda em pacientes submetidos ao transplante ortotópico de fígado convencional sem desvio venovenoso / Predictors of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing a conventional orthotopic liver transplant without veno-venous bypass

RADICAL: Injúria renal aguda é uma das complicações mais comuns do transplante ortotópico de fígado. A ausência de critério universal para sua definição nestas condições dificulta as comparações entre os estudos. A técnica convencional para o transplante consiste na excisão total da veia cava inferior retro-hepática durante a hepatectomia nativa. Controvérsias sobre o efeito da técnica convencional sem desvio venovenoso na função renal continuam. OBJETIVO: Estimar a incidência e os fatores de risco de injúria renal aguda entre os receptores de transplante ortotópico de fígado convencional sem desvio venovenoso. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 375 pacientes submetidos a transplante ortotópico de fígado. Foram analisadas as variáveis pré, intra e pós-operatórias em 153 pacientes submetidos a transplante ortotópico de fígado convencional sem desvio venovenoso. O critério para a injúria renal aguda foi valor da creatinina sérica > 1,5 mg/dl ou débito urinário < 500 ml/24h dentro dos primeiros três dias pós-transplante. Foi realizada análise univariada e multivariada por regressão logística. RESULTADOS: Todos os transplantes foram realizados com enxerto de doador falecido. Sessenta pacientes (39,2 por cento) apresentaram injúria renal aguda. Idade, índice de massa corpórea, escore de Child-Turcotte-Pugh, ureia, hipertensão arterial sistêmica e creatinina sérica pré-operatória apresentaram maiores valores no grupo injúria renal aguda. Durante o período intraoperatório, o grupo injúria renal aguda apresentou mais síndrome de reperfusão, transfusão de concentrado de hemácias, plasma fresco e plaquetas. No pós-operatório, o tempo de permanência em ventilação mecânica e creatinina pós-operatória também foram variáveis, com diferenças significativas para o grupo injúria renal aguda. Após regressão logística, a síndrome de reperfusão, a classe C do Child-Turcotte-Pugh e a creatinina sérica pós-operatória apresentaram diferenças. CONCLUSÃO: Injúria renal aguda após...

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury is one of the most common complications of orthotopic liver transplantation. The absence of universal criteria for definition of these conditions make comparisons difficult between studies. The conventional technique for transplantation is the total excision of the inferior vena cava during liver retro-native hepatectomy. Controversies about the effect of the conventional technique without venovenous bypass on renal function remain. AIM: To estimate the incidence and risk of acute kidney injury factors among recipients of orthotopic liver transplantation without conventional venovenous bypass. METHODS: Was studied 375 patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. Variables were analyzed in preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative complications in 153 patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation without conventional venovenous bypass. The criterion for acute kidney injury was serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl or urinary debit <500 ml/24h within the first three days post-transplant. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were done. RESULTS: All transplants were performed with grafts from deceased donors. Sixty patients (39.2 percent) had acute kidney injury. Age, body mass index, Child-Turcotte-Pugh, urea, hypertension, and preoperative serum creatinine were higher in the acute kidney injury group. During the intraoperative period, the group acute kidney injury had more reperfusion syndrome, transfusion of red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma and platelets. Postoperatively, the duration of mechanical ventilation and postoperative creatinine levels were also variable, with significant differences for the group of acute kidney injury. After logistic regression, the reperfusion syndrome, the class C of the Child-Turcotte-Pugh and postoperative serum creatinine showed differences. CONCLUSION: Acute kidney injury after orthotopic liver transplantation without conventional venovenous bypass is...

Donor age as a predictor of risk for short-term outcomes after liver transplant.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate an association between short-term mortality and donor age-associated worst outcomes in liver transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 178 consecutive patients underwent a liver transplant between 1999 and 2007. Among these patients, there were 172 liver transplants (donor age, 32.04 +/- 16.66; range, 2-65 years) and 167 recipients. Mean recipient age was 39.16 +/- 21.61 years (range, 6 months to 71 years), and 90 were males (53.8%). RESULTS: Among 172 transplants, 32.9% recipients died during follow-up (mean, 34.37 +/- 20.50 months). A lower mean recipient and graft survival occurred in donors older than 50 years (P = .01) and 30 years (P = .02) at 7-year patient survival. At 6- month and 1-year recipient survival, cutoffs were 50 and 55 years (P < .05). Log-rank test showed no statistical difference among recipients, and graft survival from donors older/younger 50 and 30 years 1.5 years after liver transplant (P < .565 and P < .259). CONCLUSIONS: Donor age is a key factor in liver transplant that carries prognostic impact in the recipients. Our data suggest that its harmful effects are exclusively elicited during the short-term, postoperative phase. We recommend careful and distinct management of recipients receiving grafts from elderly donors up to 1.5 years after liver transplant. Changes in the current early postoperative management of this selected group are encouraged.

Needlescopic clipless cholecystectomy as an efficient, safe, and cost-effective alternative with diminutive scars: the first 1000 cases.

BACKGROUND: The advent of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), surgery without skin scarring, is now challenging every surgeon to improve the esthetic results for patients. Minilaparoscopic cholecystectomy (MLC) represents a refinement in laparoscopic surgery, potentially as cosmetically effective as NOTES. Nevertheless, because of the increased cost and difficulty in managing the equipment, it has not been widely accepted among surgeons. OBJECTIVE: To report modifications of the minilaparoscopic technique that make it possible to conduct needlescopic procedures safely and effectively, thereby, considerably reducing costs and promoting the dissemination of this operation. METHOD: One thousand consecutive patients who underwent MLC were analyzed, from January 2000 to May 2009 (78.7% women; average age 45.9 y). SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: after performing the pneumoperitoneum at the umbilical site, 4 trocars were inserted; 2 of 2 mm, 1 of 3 mm, and 1 of 10 mm in diameter, through which a laparoscope was inserted. Neither the 3-mm laparoscope, nor clips, nor manufactured endobags were used. The cystic artery was safely sealed by electrocautery near the gallbladder neck and the cystic duct was sealed with surgical knots. Removal of the gallbladder was carried out, in an adapted bag made with a glove wrist, through the 10-mm umbilical site. RESULTS: The operative time was 43 minutes. The average hospital stay was 16 hours. There was no conversion to open surgery; 2.8% of patients underwent conversion to standard (5 mm) laparoscopic cholecystectomy because of difficulties with the procedure; there were 1.9% minor umbilical site infections and 1.0% umbilical herniations. There was no mortality; no bowel injury, no bile duct injury, and no postoperative hemorrhage, only 1 patient with Luschka's duct bile leakage needed a reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The MLC technique shows no differences in risks as compared with other laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures. It also entails a considerable reduction in cost, and, as it does not use the 3-mm laparoscope or disposable materials, it is possible to perform MLC on a larger number of patients. Owing to the near invisibility of scars, MLC may also be considered as cosmetically effective as NOTES and SILS.

Effects of donor age on patient survival in liver transplantation: short-and long-term analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aim was to investigate an association between donor age and lower recipient survival in liver transplantation. METHODOLOGY: A total of 178 consecutive patients underwent liver transplantation between 1999 and 2007. Among these patients, 172 liver transplants (donor age: 32.04 +/- 16.66) and 167 recipients were included in the analysis. Mean recipient age was 39.16 +/- 21.61 years (range: 6 mo-71 years) and 90 (53.89%) were males. RESULTS: Among 172 transplants, 32.9% recipients died during follow-up. Mean follow-up time was 34.37 +/- 20.50 mo. A lower mean recipient survival prevailed from donors older than 50 years (p = .01) at 7-year patient survival. At 6-month and 1-year recipient survival, cut-offs were 50 and 55 years, respectively (p < .05). A significant difference was observed in graft survival from donors older than 30 years (p = .02) and at 6-month and 1-year, cutoffs were 35 and 50 years, respectively (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the utilization of donors with increased age in liver transplantation offers a new option to increase the number of liver transplants it presents lower survivals. Other factors related to graft loss such as MELD score > 15 and longer CIT (cold ischemia time) should be avoided to reduce the risk of using elderly donor grafts.

Laparoscopic repair of a ureter damaged during inguinal herniorrhaphy.

BACKGROUND: Laparotomy has been used generally to deal with ureteral injury. Recently, a few papers have reported the repair of gynecologic ureteral injuries by laparoscopy, with encouraging results; however, successful repair of a ureter damaged during an open inguinal herniorrhaphy fully performed by laparoscopy has not been reported yet. PATIENT: A 49-year-old obese man (body mass index=35) in the 10 years before surgery began to note a protrusion in the scrotal region. The protrusion evolved asymptomatically for 8 years, and began to cause pain in the lumbar spine to the right and paresthesia of the right leg. METHOD: An open right inguinal herniorrhaphy was performed. When the exeresis of the fatty tissue around the spermatic cord was being carried out, resection of a 12-cm tubular structure, supposedly the appendix, was performed. Wall defect was closed by a polypropylene mesh. Acute abdominal pain developed immediately in the postoperative period and investigation using laparoscopy was undertaken. After confirmation of ureteral injury, laparoscopic repair was performed, and the ureter was anastomosed without tension over a double-J catheter. A suction drain was left near the anastomosis. RESULT: Postoperative period was uneventful. The vesical catheter was withdrawn on the eighth postoperative day and the drain on the twelfth postoperative day. The histopathologic report confirmed that the resected structure was the ureter. The patient has remained asymptomatic for 2 years since the surgery.

Fibrose hepática congênita associada à trombose portal: coincidência? / Congenital hepatic fibrosis associated with portal vein thrombosis: Is it coincidental?

Fibrose hepática congênita (FHC), doença fibropolicística, ocorre em várias formas, tendo como manifestação clínica inicial, em crianças, sangramento digestivo alto em pré-escolares entre um e três anos. História clínica similar à trombose portal congenita. Ainda está sob investigação os fatores etiopatogênicos da FHC, e o presente relato de um raro caso de associação entre estas duas afecções, aparentemente congênitas, adiciona argumento para a recente sugestão de que essa associação não seja apenas coincidência

Foregoing ligation of the inferior cava vein as a facilitating factor of orthotopic liver transplatation / A ligadura prévia da veia cava inferior facilitando o transplante ortotópico do fígado

Os autores apresentam o primeiro caso de transplante de fígado do seu programa. Tratava-se de um paciente previamente submetido a hepatectomia direita com a ressecçäo do segmento retro-hepático da veia cava. O transplante foi realizado sem "bypass" porto-cava-jugular. A ligadura prévia da veia cava inferior e a conseqüente circulaçäo colateral tipo cava-cava facilitou sobremaneira a intervençäo, tornando desnecessário o desvio venoso.