Strategic approach to minimally invasive necrosectomy for necrotizing pancreatitis: technique, complications and predictors of outcome.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive retroperitoneal necrosectomy has been an integral component of 'step-up' approach for infected pancreatic necrosis. Even though the clinical outcome of nephroscopic necrosectomy has been studied earlier, its predictor and morbidities following surgery have not been extensively evaluated. We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome and early and late complications after percutaneous nephroscopic necrosectomy (PCNN). METHODS: The pre- and intra-operative as well as post-operative and follow-up data of severe pancreatitis patients undergoing PCNN were collected prospectively. RESULTS: Out of 115 patients requiring intervention, 40 patients (34.78%) improved with percutaneous drain alone and another 40 proceeded for PCNN. After exclusion, 37 patients successfully underwent 48 sessions of PCNN. Median number of PCNN session was 1 (1-4). Early complications were seen in 21 (56.75%) patients and mortality was experienced in eight (21.62%) patients. On median follow-up of 36 months, 12 (32.43%) patients experienced late complications. Persistent post-operative pancreatic fistula was observed in six (16.21%) patients. Of these, three developed late-onset pseudocyst, whereas one patient had disconnected duct syndrome. Seven patients experienced new-onset diabetes. Age, severity of pancreatitis, preoperative organ failure and multiorgan failure were significant predictors of mortality on univariate analysis (P ≤ 0.05 for each). The logistic regression analysis revealed presence of multiorgan failure before surgery as the sole predictor (P = 0.007; odds ratio 10.417; 95% confidence interval 1.759-61.672). CONCLUSION: Preoperative multiorgan failure was the most important predictor of mortality following PCNN. Late complications were seen in nearly one-third of patients emphasizing the need for long-term follow-up.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Acute Liver Failure: Donor Safety and Recipient Outcome.

In countries where deceased organ donation is sparse, emergency living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is the only lifesaving option in select patients with acute liver failure (ALF). The aim of the current study is living liver donor safety and recipient outcomes following LDLT for ALF. A total of 410 patients underwent LDLT between March 2011 and February 2018, out of which 61 (14.9%) were for ALF. All satisfied the King's College criteria (KCC). Median admission to transplant time was 48 hours (range, 24-80.5 hours), and median living donor evaluation time was 18 hours (14-20 hours). Median Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was 37 (32-40) with more than two-thirds having grade 3 or 4 encephalopathy and 70% being on mechanical ventilation. The most common etiology was viral (37%). Median jaundice-to-encephalopathy time was 15 (9-29) days. Preoperative culture was positive in 47.5%. There was no difference in the complication rate among emergency and elective living liver donors (13.1% versus 21.2%; P = 0.19). There was no donor mortality. For patients who met the KCC but did not undergo LT, survival was 22.8% (29/127). The 5-year post-LT actuarial survival was 65.57% with a median follow-up of 35 months. On multivariate analysis, postoperative worsening of cerebral edema (CE; hazard ratio [HR], 2.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-6.31), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS; HR, 16.7; 95% CI, 2.05-136.7), preoperative culture positivity (HR, 6.54; 95% CI, 2.24-19.07), and a longer anhepatic phase duration (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02) predicted poor outcomes. In conclusion, emergency LDLT is lifesaving in selected patients with ALF. Outcomes of emergency living liver donation were comparable to that of elective donors. Postoperative worsening of CE, preoperative SIRS, and sepsis predicted outcome after LDLT for ALF.

Antegrade Arterial and Portal Flushing Versus Portal Flushing Only for Right Lobe Live Donor Liver Transplantation-A Randomized Control Trial.

BACKGROUND: In live donor liver transplantation portal flush only of the graft is done on the bench. There are no data on antegrade arterial flush along with portal flush of the graft. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing elective right lobe live donor liver transplantation were block-randomized to receive either portal flush only or both portal and antegrade arterial flush. The primary objectives were safety, rate of early allograft dysfunction (EAD), and impact on vascular and biliary complications. RESULTS: After randomization, there were 40 patients in each group. Both groups had comparable preoperative, intraoperative, and donor variables. There were no adverse events related to arterial flushing. The portal and antegrade arterial flush group had significantly lower postoperative bilirubin on days 7, 14, and 21 (all P < 0.05), EAD (P = 0.005), intensive care unit/high dependency unit (P = 0.01), and hospital stay (P = 0.05). This group also had lower peak aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.07), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.06) and lower rates of sepsis (P = 0.08) trending toward statistical significance. Portal and antegrade arterial flush groups had lower ascitic fluid drainage and in-hospital mortality. Arterial and biliary complications were not statistically different in the 2 groups. Multivariate analysis of EAD showed portal with antegrade arterial flush was associated with lower rate (P = 0.007), whereas model for end-stage liver disease Na (P = 0.01) and donor age (P = 0.03) were associated with a higher rate of EAD. CONCLUSIONS: Portal with antegrade arterial flushing of right lobe live liver grafts is safe, significantly decreases postoperative cholestasis, EAD, intensive care unit/high dependency unit, and hospital stay and is associated with lower rates of sepsis, ascitic drainage and inhospital mortality in comparison to portal flush only.