ObjectiveTo summarize clinical applications of inferior right hepatic vein (IRHV) in liver surgery and to provide a basis for clinical applications of IRHV.MethodThe relevant literatures about clinical applications of IRHV in liver surgery in recent years were reviewed.ResultsAs a kind of short hepatic veins, the IRHV directly flowed into the inferior vena cava, often accompanied by the portal vein of the segment Ⅵ. The occurrence rate of IRHV was 80%–90% by the autopsy examination, while which was 10%–30% by the imaging examination. The caliber of IRHV was 0.22–0.95 cm, and its caliber was negatively correlated with the caliber of right hepatic vein. The IRHV played a great role in the classification and treatment of the Budd-Chiari syndrome. According to the Couinaud liver classification method, the IRHV mainly drained the blood of segment Ⅵ. The existence of IRHV expanded the indications of hepatectomy. The reconstruction of IRHV in the liver transplantation could not only reserve the function of donor liver, but could compensatively drain the corresponding liver areas if the acute occlusion of other major hepatic veins happened.ConclusionsIRHV has some important clinical significances in liver surgery. Fully studying course characters and adjacent relationship of IRHV can not only avoid injury during surgery, but also provide a new treatment idea for related liver diseases.
Portal vein blood flow is very important for the normal function of transplanted liver. The author reviewed the management methods of different portal vein thrombosis classification in the liver transplantation (LT). The prognosis of LT in the patients with Yerdel 1–3 thrombosis is similar to that the patients without thrombosis. The portal vein reconstruction of the patients with Yerdel 4 thrombosis can be realized by varicose vein to portal anastomosis, renoportal anastomosis or cavoportal hemitransposition. When anastomosis is made at the proximal side of a spontaneous shunt between the portal and cava system, the blood shunted from portal system can be reintroduced into the donor liver, which is crucial for the management of Yerdel 4 thrombosis. The establishments of artificial shunt by distal splenic vein, mesenteric vein or “multiple to one” anastomosis are effective attempts to drain the blood from portal system to the donor liver. For more severe diffuse thrombosis of portal vein system, multivisceral transplantation, including liver and small intestine, should be considered. The cases of LT in the patients with complex portal vein thrombosis are increasing, however the prognosis remains to be determined after accumulation of the cases.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of perioperative intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on the reduction of blood group antibody titer and prognosis in children with ABO incompatible (ABO-I) liver transplantation.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted in 20 children undergoing ABO-I liver transplantation in Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from July 2017 to March 2020. The changes of blood group antibody titer, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin before and after operation, as well as survival rate were analyzed after intravenous IVIG during perioperative period.ResultsAfter ABO-I liver transplantation, the 1-year survival rate of 20 patients was 100%, and 1 case (5%) developed immune rejection. Compared with before operation, on the day of operation, IgM blood group antibody titer did not change in 4 cases (20%), increased in 1 case (5%), and decreased in 15 cases (75%); in one week after operation: 12 cases (60%) decreased, 5 cases (25%) increased, and 3 cases (15%) remained unchanged; in one month after operation: 18 cases (90%) decreased , 2 cases (10%) remained unchanged. Compared with before operation, the titer of IgG blood group antibody increased in 2 cases (10%), remained unchanged in 6 cases (30%), and decreased in 12 cases (60%); in one week after operation: 4 cases (20%) increased, 4 cases (20%) remained unchanged, and 12 cases (60%) decreased; in one month after operation: 3 cases (15%) increased, 4 cases (20%) remained unchanged, and 13 cases (65%) decreased. The levels of alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin in 1 month after operation were lower than those on the day of operation.ConclusionThe effect of IVIG on reducing blood group antibody titer in children after ABO-I liver transplantation is not obvious, and its actual clinical effect needs to befurther confirmed.
Minimally invasive surgery played a crucial role in modern medicine. With advantages such as less trauma, precise operation, minimal bleeding, and rapid postoperative recovery, minimally invasive procedures had been increasingly applied in the field of liver transplantation in recent years. This included techniques such as small incision living donor hepatectomy through an upper abdominal midline incision, laparoscopic-assisted living donor hepatectomy, pure laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy, and robotic living donor hepatectomy. Since Professor Cherqui from France firstly reported the total laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy in living donors in 2002, the application of minimally invasive technology in living donor liver transplantation had become increasingly widespread. Based on this, so as to guide the more standardized, effective, and safe implementation of minimally invasive liver donor hepatectomy across the country, in August 2023, the Branch of Organ Transplant of Chinese Medical Association and the Branch of Organ Transplant Physicians of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized national liver transplantation experts to jointly formulate the “Chinese guidelines for minimally invasive surgical techniques in living donor liver transplantation (2024 edition)”. This is to provide scientific guidance and reference for surgeons performing minimally invasive surgery on living liver donors in China.
ObjectiveTo analyze the prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) after adult liver transplantation (LT) recipients. MethodsThe clinicopathologic data of patients with survival time ≥1 year underwent LT in the People’s Hospital of Zhongshan City from January 1, 2015 to August 31, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors affecting MS occurrence after LT, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the optimal cutoff value of the index of predicting MS occurrence and its corresponding evaluation effect. ResultsA total of 107 patients who met the inclusion criteria were collected in this study. Based on the diagnostic criteria of MS of Chinese Medical Association Diabetes Association, the occurrence rate of MS after LT was 32.7% (35/107). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increased age of the recipient [OR (95%CI)=1.106 (1.020, 1.199), P=0.014], preoperative increased body mass index [OR (95%CI)=1.439 (1.106, 1.872), P=0.007] and blood glucose level [OR (95%CI)=1.708 (1.317, 2.213), P<0.001], and with preoperative smoking history [OR (95%CI)=5.814 (1.640, 20.610), P=0.006] and drinking history [OR (95%CI)=5.390 (1.454, 19.984), P=0.012] increased the probability of MS after LT. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) corresponding to these five indexes were 0.666, 0.669, 0.769, 0.682, and 0.612, respectively. The corresponding optimal cutoff values of three continuous variables (recipient’s age, preoperative body mass index, and blood glucose level) were 53 years old, 23.1 kg/m2, and 6.8 mmol/L, respectively. The AUC of combination of the above five indexes in predicting occurrence of MS was 0.903 [95%CI (0.831, 0.952)], and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 90.3%, respectively. ConclusionsIncidence of MS after adult LT recipient is not low. For recipients with preoperative hyperglycemia, obese, elderly, histories of drinking and smoking before LT need to pay attention to the early detection and early intervention of MS.
Objective To investigate the dynamic changes of postoperative liver reserve function and laboratory liver function as well as liver volume regeneration, and their potential relationship with short-term clinical outcomes after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methods The data of 30 recipients underwent LDLT were prospectively collected. The plasma clearance (K) by indocyanine green (ICG) excretive test, liver function test by laboratory methods, liver volume by CT and shortterm (lt;3 months) complications were analyzed. Results The graft recipient body weight ratio (GRBW) was 0.63%-1.43%. The hepatic volume of the recipients in the operation was (638±103) ml, which was smaller than that day 7, 30, and 90 after operation (Plt;0.001), but the hepatic volume at subsequent time point was not different from that at the former time point (Pgt;0.05). The KICG values of recipients among the day 3 〔(0.177±0.056)/min〕, 7 〔(0.183±0.061)/min〕, 30 〔(0.200±0.049)/min〕, and 90 〔(0.209±0.050)/min〕 after operation gradually increased, which was respectively higher than that of recipients before operation (P=0.006, P=0.002, Plt;0.001, and Plt;0.001). Compared with the baseline KICG 〔(0.228±0.036)/min〕 of the donors, the KICG of recipients showed significant variation on day 3 and 7 after operation (P=0.004 and P=0.015), and the KICG of recipients on day 30 and 90 after operation approached the baseline KICG (P=0.355 and P=0.915). The recipients were divided into good liver function group (n=23) and poor liver function group (n=7) according to total serum bilirubin on day 14 after operation. The KICG significantly dropped compared with the recipients of good liver function group on day 3 after operation (P=0.001). Conclusions The liver volume regenerates dramatically on day 7 after operation for the recipients. The ICG excretivetest shows that volume recovery occurs much more gradually than the recovery of function in the recipients. The ICG excretive test is a more reliable indicator of graft function and subsequent graft outcome early after LDLT.
Objective To investigate the surgical technique of reduced sized liver transplantation. Methods A reduced size liver transplantation was successfully performed on a 11-year old girl with incurable caroli′s disease. Results The recovery of liver graft function was good after the operation in this patients without complications. Conclusion Reduced size liver transplantation is a safe and effective technique for pediatric liver transplantation to provide liver graft. Authors introduced their experiences of surgical technique in this patient.
Objective To explore the effect of ex-vivo liver resection and autologous liver transplantation (ERAT) combined with complicated hepatic venous reconstruction for end stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Method Theclinical data of one case with hepatic AE who treated in Organ Transplantation Center of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital in December 2017 was analyzed retrospectively. Results Pre-operative examination and intraoperative exploration revealed the hepatic vein (HV) and retrohepatic inferior vena cava (RHIVC) were invaded widely. We successfully initiated operation through vivo and ex-vivo hepatic AE resection, portal vein reconstruction, right/short/right inferior HV reconstruction into a wide mouth outflow with the assist of autogenous saphenous vein, and then piggyback autologous liver transplantation by wide mouth outflow-artificial inferior vena cava anastomosis (side to side). The operative time was 16 hours, and blood loss was 1 000 mL approximately. The patient was admitted routine treatment after hepatectomy. The inject low-molecular-weight heparin sodium was admitted for anticoagulant therapy 24 hours after operation. This patient recovered smoothly without bile leakage, bleeding, infection and liver failure, and so on. The patient was discharged uneventfully 14 days after operation, and there was no special situation during the6 months follow-up period. Conclusions ERAT is an ideal surgical method for end stage hepatic AE. Hepatic parenchymal transection and individual duct reconstruction, especially hepatic outflow reconstruction, are the key steps for ERAT.
Liver transplantation in hamster-to-rat is a good model for the research in xenograft, but it is difficult to be performed. In order to simplify its procedures, 38 cases of liver transplantation in hamster-to-rat were performed with several technique improvments on the basis of orthotopic liver transplantation in rats. In the light of hamster’s anatomy, three cuffs anastomosis method was used. Because of its high stability and high survival rate, the model can be used widely as the research for liver xenograft.
Objective To preliminarily summarize the diagnosis and treatment of coagulopathy in patient with severe hepatic cirrhosis who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods Preoperative coagulability, the replacement therapy by coagulation factors and platelet pre-and intraoperatively, intra-operative bleeding amount and blood transfusion amount and the relation to the postoperative course were analyzed retrospectively in 6 patients with severe hepatic cirrhosis who underwent OLT in the last year. Results All of the 6 patients had a Child-c preoperative hepatic function, 2 with prolongation of bleeding time. All of the 6 had a decrease of platelet count, with a mean platelet count of 25.3×109/L. Mean prolongation of prothrombin time was 10.7 seconds as compared with controls. Mean prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time was 23.1 seconds as compared with controls. Mean fibrinogen was 1.5 g/L. Mean pre- and intra- operative transfusion of fresh frozen plasma was 788 ml, platelet 7.1×1012, cryopreciptitate 5.5 units, fibrinogen 2.8 grams and lyophilized prothombin complex concentrate (LPCC) 1 700 units. The first 4 cases in the early period had a mean bleeding amount of 8 672.5 ml, with a mean transfusion of 9 215.0 ml. One of the 4 with the most massive intraoperative bleeding was complicated by severe internal milieu disturbance, DIC and fungus infection and died of the infection. Postoperatively the last 2 cases in the late period had a complete preoperative replacement of coagulation factors and platelet and had a only mean bleeding amount of 2 700 ml with a mean transfusion amount of 3 638 ml. Conclusion We initially consider that a preoperative complete replacement of coagulation factors and platelet according to the coagulability tests may lessen intraoperative bleeding and transfusion and make the patient an uneventful postoperative course.