Major hepatectomy is safe for hepatocellular carcinoma in elderly patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Because of an increasing aging population worldwide, a greater number of elderly patients are being considered for hepatic resection. The objective of this retrospective pair-matched study was to assess the influence of age on postoperative outcomes after major hepatectomy (resection of three or more Couinaud segments) in elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patient demographics, diagnoses, surgical treatments, and early postoperative outcomes was performed. RESULTS: A total of 208 HCC patients with cirrhosis underwent major hepatectomy between 2007 and 2012. The mortality rate was 3.57% in patients aged 70 years or more (group E) compared with 1.32% in those aged below 70 years (group Y; P=0.630). The overall complication rates were 53.57% in group E and 47.37% in group Y (P=0.427). Increasing age was independently associated with postoperative pneumonia (P<0.001), bacteremia (P=0.026), and respiratory failure requiring reintubation (P=0.028). A total of 25.00% of patients had a Clavien-Dindo classification grade of 3a or more in group E compared with 13.16% in group Y (P=0.040). In multivariate analysis, intraoperative red blood cell transfusion of 5 U or more (P=0.016; hazard ratio 4.812; 95% confidence interval 1.332-17.384) was a predictor of higher morbidity in the elderly. CONCLUSION: With rigorous screening of patients and improvement of perioperative management and operative techniques, major hepatectomy can be safely performed on HCC patients aged 70 years or more with liver cirrhosis. Intraoperative red blood cell transfusion of 5 U or more was predictive of higher morbidity in the elderly. Surgeons should take care to minimize the likelihood of intraoperative blood transfusion in elderly patients.

Treatment of late biliary stricture after blunt abdominal trauma.

BACKGROUND: Extrahepatic bile duct injury from blunt abdominal trauma is severe and very rare. However, no definitive treatment has been proposed for biliary strictures caused by blunt abdominal trauma. METHODS: Four cases of late biliary stricture following the initial repair of the liver rupture because of the blunt abdominal trauma are described. The diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of the complications are discussed. RESULTS: One patient received bile drainage because of biliary peritonitis on admission. He underwent a right hepatectomy and a Roux-en-Y anastomosis on the left bile duct because of right lobar atrophy 3 months later. Cholangiojejunostomy was performed in the other three patients using the Hepp-Couinaud technique. The patients were followed for 5-37 months, yielding no recurrence of the biliary stricture or cholangitis. CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention should be used after the failure of repeating endoscopic stenting or percutaneous drainage. The Hepp-Couinaud technique could provide a wide and accurate leakproof mucosa-to-mucosa anastomosis that is responsible for excellent results.