A Practical Guide to Inflow Control, Retraction, and Exposure for Robotic Hepatectomy.

Establishment of inflow control and gentle effective retraction of the liver for optimal exposure are critical to safe hepatectomy. Multiple methods have been previously reported for inflow control in minimally invasive (MIS) hepatectomy including Huang's Loop.1-3 We describe here the assembly and use of our modified version of Huang's loop that permits adjustable, atraumatic, and totally intracorporeal inflow control. We use a soft 16-French urinary catheter with a single premade opening near the blunt tip, across which a small slit is created. A beveled cut is made to the catheter 12-15 cm from the blunt tip and a suture sewn there that can be grasped to pull this beveled tail through the slit and window around the porta hepatis; this loop can be tightened or loosened with ease. For liver retraction, current techniques can be traumatic, especially when instruments apply traction directly onto the liver.4 Our preferred approach utilizes a liver sling made from a soft, rolled surgical sponge with 15-cm silk ties secured at each end; the length of the sling can be adjusted on the basis of thickness of the liver. The sling applies gentle, atraumatic "pulling" traction and is especially useful for exposure of the right posterior sector. We also use external band retraction to align the transection plane with the camera.5 Both also provide countertraction when advancing instruments into a firm or fibrotic liver. These techniques are commonly used in our MIS practice, and we have found them to be cost-efficient, easily reproducible, and effective.

Caudo-dorsal approach combined with the occlusion of right hepatic vein and Pringle maneuver in laparoscopic anatomical resection of segment 7.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic anatomical resection of segment 7 (LARS7) remains a technically challenging procedure due to the deep anatomical location and the potential risk of injury to the right hepatic vein (RHV). Herein, we initiated an innovative technique of caudo-dorsal approach combined with the occlusion of the RHV and Pringle maneuver for LARS7 and presented the outcomes of our initial series. METHOD: Since January 2021, the patients who underwent LARS7 by using this novel technique were enrolled in this study. The critical aspect of this technique was the interruption of communication between the RHV and the inferior vena cava. Meanwhile, the Pringle maneuver was adopted to control the hepatic inflow. RESULT: A total of 11 patients underwent LARS7 by using this novel technique, which included 8 hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 bile duct adenocarcinoma and one focal nodular hyperplasia. The median operative time was 199 min (range of 151-318 min) and the median blood loss was 150 ml (range of 50-200 ml). The main trunk of the RHV was fully exposed on the cutting surface in all cases and no patient received perioperative blood transfusion. No procedure was converted to open surgery. Of note, no indications of CO2 gas embolism were observed in these cases after the introduction of double occlusion. Only one patient suffered from postoperative complications and healed after treatment. The median postoperative stay was 5 days (range of 4-7 days). The 90-day mortality was nil. At a median follow-up period of 19 months, all of the patients were alive without any evidence of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: The caudo-dorsal approach combined with the occlusion of RHV and the Pringle maneuver may be a feasible and expected technique for safe exposure of RHV in LARS7. Further validation of the feasibility and efficacy of this technique is needed.

The application of a single-hand-operated hepatic pedicle clamping clamp in laparoscopic hepatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: In this paper, a single-hand-operated hepatic pedicle clamp was introduced, and its application value in laparoscopic liver tumor resection was preliminarily discussed. METHODS: The clinical data of 67 patients who underwent laparoscopic liver tumor resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from March 2019 to October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The Pringle maneuver was performed with a hepatic pedicle clamp during the operation. The preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative clinical data were observed and recorded. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients had a median block number, block time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative length of hospital stay of 4, 55 min, 400 ml, and 7 days, respectively. The average operation time was 304.9±118.4 min, the time required for each block was 3.2±2.4 s, and the time required for each removed block was 2.6±0.7 s. None of the patients developed portal vein thrombosis or hepatic artery aneurysm formation. CONCLUSION: The hepatic pedicle clamping clamp is simple to use in laparoscopic hepatectomy, optimizes the operation process, and has a reliable blocking effect. It is recommended for clinical application.

Effect of Pringle maneuver on prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases after liver resection: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Pringle maneuver (PM) is a double-edged sword in liver resection, which is beneficial in reducing blood loss but also causes ischemia-reperfusion injury which may stimulate the outgrowth of micrometastases. The impact of PM on tumor recurrence remains controversial. This study aimed to assess whether PM has effect on the prognosis of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) after hepatectomy. METHODS: PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases were searched. The PM is defined as the portal triad clamping for several minutes, followed by several minutes of reperfusion, repeated as needed. Prolonged PM was defined as continuous clamping ≥ 20 min or ≥ 3 cycles for maximally 15-min intermittent ischemia. RESULTS: Eleven studies encompassing 4054 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) did not show significant differences between PM and non-PM groups for disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76-1.11, P = 0.36) and overall survival (HR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.76-1.39, P = 0.87). Subgroup analysis revealed that prolonged PM has adverse impact on DFS (HR 1.75, 95% CI = 1.28-2.40, P = 0.0005). However, non-prolonged PM is a protective factor for DFS (HR 0.82, 95% CI = 0.73-0.92, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that prolonged PM may have an adverse impact on the DFS of patients with CRLM and non-prolonged PM is a protective factor for DFS. Further prospective multicenter studies are warranted.

The Effect of Pringle Maneuver Applied during Living Donor Hepatectomy on the Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Observed in the Donors and Recipients.

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and laboratory changes of ischemia and reperfusion injury in the remnant livers of donors with and without Pringle maneuver. Furthermore, we evaluated the recipients who have been transplanted with liver grafts from these donors. Methods and Materials: A total of 108 patients (54 living liver donors and 54 liver recipients) who underwent donor hepatectomy and recipients who living donor liver transplantation, were included in this randomized double-blind study between February 2021 and June 2021. The donors were divided into two groups: Pringle maneuver applied (n = 27) and Pringle maneuver not applied (n = 27). Similarly, recipients with implanted liver obtained from these donors were divided into two groups as the Pringle maneuver was performed (n = 27) and not performed (n = 27). Blood samples from donors and recipients were obtained on pre-operative, post-operative 0 h day (day of surgery), post-operative 1st day, post-operative 2nd day, post-operative 3rd day, post-operative 4th day, post-operative 5th day, and liver tissue was taken from the graft during the back table procedures. Liver function tests and complete blood count, coagulation tests, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and ß-galactosidase measurements, and histopathological findings were examined. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the parameters of biochemical analyses for ischemia-reperfusion injury at all periods in the donors with and without the Pringle maneuver. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference between in the recipients in who received liver grafts harvested with and without the Pringle maneuver. There was no statistically significant difference between the two recipient groups in terms of perioperative bleeding and early bile duct complications (p = 0.685). In the histopathological examinations, hepatocyte damage was significantly higher in the Pringle maneuver group (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Although the histological scoring of hepatocyte damage was found to be higher in the Pringle maneuver group, the Pringle maneuver did not augment ischemia-reperfusion injury in donors and recipients that was evaluated by clinical and laboratory analyses.

Right-Lateral Pringle Maneuver Using Endovascular Clip for Open and Laparoscopic Hepatectomy After Esophagectomy (with Video).

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic hepatectomy after esophageal cancer surgery is a technically challenging procedure as it is difficult to control hepatic inflow due to adhesion 1. Ann Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg. 22:344-349; 2. Dis Esophagus. 28:483-487; 3. Surg Endosc. 35:5375-5380; 4. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 23:e103-105. Thus, we introduce our technique for hepatic inflow control using an endovascular clip. METHODS: After the confirmation of space between the right and dorsal side of the hepatoduodenal ligament and the inferior vena cava, an endovascular clip was introduced laterally from the right side of the hepatoduodenal ligament to control hepatic inflow. The control of hepatic inflow was confirmed using intraoperative Doppler ultrasound and then a hepatic parenchymal transection was performed. The video demonstrates our technique using an endovascular clip for hepatic inflow control to perform safe open or laparoscopic hepatectomy after esophageal cancer surgery. Patient 1 was an 82-year-old woman with a history of laparoscopic assisted esophagectomy for esophageal neuroendocrine cancer. She underwent open anatomical resection of segment 3 for a 38-mm liver tumor. Patient 2 was a 71-year-old man with a history of laparoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. He underwent laparoscopic partial resection of segment 6 for a 24-mm liver tumor. RESULTS: The operation times were 105 and 123 min, and the estimated blood loss was 30 g and 10 g, respectively. The patients' postoperative courses were uneventful and the patients were discharged on postoperative days 9 and 8, respectively. CONCLUSION: Right-lateral Pringle maneuver using an endovascular clip may be a safe and feasible technique in both open and laparoscopic hepatectomy after esophagectomy.

Open hepatic artery flow with portal vein clamping protects against bile duct injury compared to pringles maneuver.

BACKGROUND: Conventional hepatic artery and portal vein clamping strategies can prevent blood loss and ischemia-reperfusion liver injury, and such preventative measures are the key to successful liver surgery. However, ischemic-induced damage to cholangiocytes is rarely considered. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of different hepatic inflow interruption methods on bile duct injury. METHODS: Forty rats were randomly grouped as sham, Pringle maneuver (PM) and hepatic arterial blood flow open (HAFO) groups. We evaluated liver histology and function in liver sections, and biliary histology, cholangiocyte apoptosis and proliferation, cytokine production, and bile composition. RNA sequencing is performed to explore possible molecular mechanisms. The Blood-biliary barrier permeability and tight junctions were analyzed by HRP injection, immunofluorescence staining and analysis of ZO-1 expression by immunoblotting. RESULTS: HAFO significantly attenuated ischemia-induced liver injury and decreased ALT, ALP, TBIL, and DBIL levels in serum. The histopathological observations showed that bile duct injury in the PM group was more serious than that in the HAFO group. The numbers of apoptotic biliary epithelial cells in HAFO-treated rat bile ducta were lower than those in the PM group. RNA-seq showed that tight junctions may be related to the mechanism underlying the protective effect of HAFO, as shown by the reduced HRP levels and increased ZO-1 and claudin-1/3 expression in the HAFO group compared to the PM group. CONCLUSION: Compared with PM, HAFO alleviated the ischemic injury to the biliary system, which was characterized by decreased biliary epithelial cell apoptosis, reduced inflammatory responses and decreased blood-biliary-barrier permeability.

Intermittent Pringle maneuver combined with controlled low Central venous pressure prolongs hepatic hilum occlusion time in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma complicated by post hepatitis B cirrhosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The optimal occlusion and reperfusion time to balance blood loss and ischemia-reperfusion injury to the remnant liver remains unclear. The aim was to explore the clinical impact of prolonging the hepatic hilum occlusion time from 15 to 20 min using the intermittent Pringle maneuver (IPM) combined with controlled low central venous pressure (CLCVP).Methods: A total of 151 patients were included and divided into an experimental group (Group 20,75 cases) and a control group (Group 15,76 cases). In both groups, the hepatic hilum was blocked by the IPM combined with CLCVP to control intraoperative hepatic cross-sectional bleeding. The preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative parameters and safety were compared between the two groups.Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in the postoperative aminotransferase serum levels (p > 0.05). However, the operation time in Group 20 was significantly lower than that in Group 15 (222.4 ± 87.8 vs. 250.7 ± 94.5 min, p < 0.05). The procalcitonin at 1 day after operation in Group 20 was lower than that at 1 day after operation in Group 15 (0.78 ± 0.66 vs. 1.45 ± 1.33 ng/mL, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative bleeding, postoperative bile leakage and postoperative infection between the two groups (p > 0.05).Conclusions: For patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatitis B cirrhosis, it is feasible and safe to prolong the hepatic hilum occlusion time from 15 to 20 min using the IPM combined with CLCVP.

A safe and simple exposure and Pringle maneuver in laparoscopic anatomical liver resection of segment 7.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic access to liver segment 7 (S7) is difficult for deep surgical situations and bleeding control. Herein, our proposed laparoscopic technique for S7 lesions using a self-designed tube method is introduced. METHODS: Clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic anatomical liver resection of S7 (LALR-S7) with the help of our self-designed tube to improve the exposure of S7 and bleeding control in the Second Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University) from April 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate feasibility and safety. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 51.3 ± 10.3 years; mean operation time, 194.5 ± 22.7 min; median blood loss, 160.0 ml (150.0-205.0 ml); and median length of hospital stay, 8.0 days (7.0-9.0 days). There was no case conversion to open surgery. Postoperative pathology revealed all cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Free surgical margins were achieved in all patients. No major postoperative complications were observed. Patients with postoperative complications recovered after conservative treatment. During outpatient follow-up examination, no other abnormality was presented. All patients survived without tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary clinical effect of our method was safe, reproducible and effective for LALR-S7. Further research is needed due to some limitations of this study.

A feasible and safe approach for repeat laparoscopic liver resection and patient selection based on standardized preoperative prediction of surgical difficulty.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to propose a strategy for repeat laparoscopic liver resection (RLLR) and investigate the preoperative predictive factors for RLLR difficulty. METHODS: Data from 43 patients who underwent RLLR using various techniques at 2 participating hospitals from April 2020 to March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical outcomes, short-term outcomes, and feasibility and safety of the proposed techniques were evaluated. The relationship between potential predictive factors for difficult RLLR and perioperative outcomes was evaluated. Difficulties associated with RLLR were analyzed separately in two surgical phases: the Pringle maneuver phase and the liver parenchymal transection phase. RESULTS: The open conversion rate was 7%. The median surgical time and intraoperative blood loss were 235 min and 200 mL, respectively. The Pringle maneuver was successfully performed in 81% of patients using the laparoscopic Satinsky vascular clamp (LSVC). Clavien-Dindo class ≥III postoperative complications were observed in 12% of patients without mortality. An analysis of the risk factors for predicting difficult RLLR showed that a history of open liver resection was an independent risk factor for difficulty in the Pringle maneuver phase. CONCLUSION: We present a feasible and safe approach to address RLLR difficulty, especially difficulty with the Pringle maneuver using an LSVC, which is extremely useful in RLLR. The Pringle maneuver is more challenging in patients with a history of open liver resection.

Risk factors of major bleeding detected by machine learning method in patients undergoing liver resection with controlled low central venous pressure technique.

BACKGROUND: Controlled low central venous pressure (CLCVP) technique has been extensively validated in clinical practices to decrease intraoperative bleeding during liver resection process; however, no studies to date have attempted to propose a scoring method to better understand what risk factors might still be responsible for bleeding when CLCVP technique was implemented. METHODS: We aimed to use machine learning to develop a model for detecting the risk factors of major bleeding in patients who underwent liver resection using CLCVP technique. We reviewed the medical records of 1077 patients who underwent liver surgery between January 2017 and June 2020. We evaluated the XGBoost model and logistic regression model using stratified K-fold cross-validation (K = 5), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, the recall rate, precision rate, and accuracy score were calculated and compared. The SHapley Additive exPlanations was employed to identify the most influencing factors and their contribution to the prediction. RESULTS: The XGBoost classifier with an accuracy of 0.80 and precision of 0.89 outperformed the logistic regression model with an accuracy of 0.76 and precision of 0.79. According to the SHapley Additive exPlanations summary plot, the top six variables ranked from most to least important included intraoperative hematocrit, surgery duration, intraoperative lactate, preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative aspartate transaminase, and Pringle maneuver duration. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesiologists should be aware of the potential impact of increased Pringle maneuver duration and lactate levels on intraoperative major bleeding in patients undergoing liver resection with CLCVP technique.   What is already known on this topic-Low central venous pressure technique has already been extensively validated in clinical practices, with no prediction model for major bleeding. What this study adds-The XGBoost classifier outperformed logistic regression model for the prediction of major bleeding during liver resection with low central venous pressure technique. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy-anesthesiologists should be aware of the potential impact of increased PM duration and lactate levels on intraoperative major bleeding in patients undergoing liver resection with CLCVP technique.

"Hooking method" for hepatic inflow control: a new approach for laparoscopic Pringle maneuver.

BACKGROUND: The laparoscopic Pringle maneuver is crucial for controlling bleeding during laparoscopic hepatectomy. In this study, we introduce a new laparoscopic Pringle maneuver and preliminarily investigate its application in laparoscopic hepatectomy. METHODS: We collected and analyzed the clinical data of 17 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy at the Department of Hepatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China, from January 2022 to January 2023. All patients underwent the hooking method for intermittent occlusion of hepatic inflow. Intraoperative and postoperative clinical indices were observed and recorded. RESULTS: All 17 patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy with hepatic inflow control using the hooking method. Four patients with adhesions under the hepatoduodenal ligament successfully had occlusion loops placed using the hooking method combined with Zhang's modified method during surgery. The median occlusion time for the 17 patients was 34 (12-60) min, and the mean operation time was 210 ± 70 min. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 145 ± 86 ml, and no patients required intraoperative blood transfusion. The patients' postoperative peak AST was 336 ± 183 U/L, and the postoperative peak ALT was 289 ± 159 U/L. Postoperative complications occurred in 2 patients (11.8%), including 1 Clavien-Dindo grade I and 1 Clavien-Dindo grade II complication. No Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa or higher complications or deaths occurred in any patient. None of the patients developed portal vein thrombosis or hepatic artery aneurysm formation. The median postoperative hospital stay was 6 (4-14) days. CONCLUSION: The hooking method combines the advantages of both intracorporeal Pringle maneuver and extracorporeal Pringle maneuver. It is a simple, safe, and effective method for controlling hepatic inflow and represents a promising approach for performing totally intracorporeal laparoscopic Pringle maneuver.

Effect of intermittent Pringle maneuver on perioperative outcomes and long-term survival following liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis and systemic review.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent Pringle maneuver (IPM) is commonly used to control bleeding during liver resection. IPM can cause ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may affect the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of IPM use on perioperative outcomes and long-term survival in patients with HCC. METHODS: A systemic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to identify randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies that compared the effect of IPM with no Pringle maneuver during liver resection in patients with HCC. Hazard ratio (HR), risk ratio, standardized mean difference, and their 95% confidence interval (CI) values were calculated based on the type of variables. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included nine studies comprising one RCT and eight retrospective studies and involved a total of 3268 patients. Perioperative outcomes, including operation time, complications, and length of hospital stay, except for blood loss, were comparable between the two groups. After removing the studies that led to heterogeneity, the results showed that IPM was effective in reducing blood loss. Five studies reported overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) data and eight studies reported perioperative outcomes. No significant difference in OS and DFS was observed between the two groups (OS: HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.85-1.20; p = 0.95; DFS: HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.88-1.17; p = 0.86). CONCLUSION: IPM is a useful technique to control blood loss during liver resection and does not affect the long-term survival of patients with HCC.

Inflow control can be safely used in laparoscopic subsegmentectomy of the liver: a single-center 10-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Several techniques have been developed to reduce blood loss in liver resection. The half-Pringle and Pringle maneuvers are commonly used for inflow control. This study compared the outcomes of different inflow control techniques in laparoscopic subsegmentectomy. METHODS: From October 2010 to December 2020, a total of 362 laparoscopic liver resections were performed by a single surgeon (C.C. Yong) in our institute. We retrospectively enrolled 133 patients who underwent laparoscopic subsegmentectomy during the same period. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The 133 patients were divided into 3 groups: no inflow control (n = 49), half-Pringle maneuver (n = 46), and Pringle maneuver (n = 38). A lower proportion of patients with cirrhosis were included in the half-Pringle maneuver group (P = .02). Fewer patients in the half-Pringle maneuver group had undergone previous abdominal (P = .01) or liver (P = .02) surgery. The no inflow control group had more patients with tumors located in the anterolateral segments (P = .001). The no inflow control group had a shorter operation time (P < .001) and less blood loss (P = .03). The need for blood transfusion, morbidity, and hospital days did not differ among the 3 groups. The overall survival did not significantly differ among the 3 groups (P = .89). CONCLUSIONS: The half-Pringle and Pringle maneuvers did not affect perioperative or long-term outcomes during laparoscopic subsegmentectomy. The inflow control maneuvers could be safely performed in laparoscopic subsegmentectomy.

Influence of the Pringle maneuver during partial hepatectomy on the neuromuscular block induced by intermittent and continuous dosing of rocuronium.

PURPOSE: The Pringle maneuver (PM) is a common procedure in hepatectomy that is known to interrupt drug elimination. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of PM on the duration of action of rocuronium administered by intermittent bolus dosing, the continuous rocuronium infusion dose required for maintenance of a moderate neuromuscular block, and changes in plasma concentrations of rocuronium. METHODS: Twenty-seven adult patients undergoing partial hepatectomy with PM were enrolled in this study. The duration of action of 0.2 mg/kg rocuronium boluses (DUR), and the continuous rocuronium infusion dose required for maintenance of the height of the first twitch of the train-of-four (T1) at 10-20% of the control value (%T1), respectively, were electromyographically monitored on the adductor digiti minimi muscle. The effects of PM on DUR, %T1, and the plasma concentration of rocuronium were measured. RESULTS: The DUR was significantly prolonged during PM [mean: 42.2 (SD: 8.0) min, P < 0.001] compared to baseline [29.7 (6.3) min]. It was prolonged even after completion of the PM [46.2 (10.5) min, P < 0.001]. The plasma concentration of rocuronium measured at every reappearance of T1 was comparable between before and during PM. %T1 [15.5 (5.6)%] was significantly depressed after the start of PM [6.5 (3.9)%, P < 0.001], with persistence of the depression even after completion of PM. However, there were no significant changes in the plasma concentration of rocuronium. CONCLUSIONS: Rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block is significantly augmented during PM. However, the augmentation is not associated with an increase in plasma rocuronium concentration.

Safety of intermittent Pringle maneuver during minimally invasive liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with and without cirrhosis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of minimally invasive intermittent Pringle maneuver (IPM) on postoperative outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the safety of IPM in patients with HCC who underwent minimally invasive liver resection during five years at our center. Factors influencing the use of IPM were examined in univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Cases with use of IPM (IPM) and those without use of IPM (no IPM) were then compared regarding intraoperative and postoperative outcomes after propensity score matching (PSM) for surgical difficulty. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one patients underwent liver resection for HCC at our center and met inclusion criteria. Of these, 73 patients (48%) received IPM with a median duration of 18 min (5-78). One hundred patients (66%) had confirmed liver cirrhosis. In multivariate analysis, patients with large tumors (≥ 3 cm) and difficult tumor locations (segments VII or VIII) were more likely to undergo IPM (OR 1.176, p = 0.043, and OR 3.243, p = 0.001, respectively). After PSM, there were no differences in intraoperative blood transfusion or postoperative complication rates between the IPM and no IPM groups. Neither did we observe any differences in the subgroup analysis for cirrhotic patients. Postoperative serum liver function tests were not affected by the use of IPM. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, we conclude that the use of IPM in minimally invasive liver resection is safe and feasible for patients with HCC, including those with compensated liver cirrhosis.

Predictors of a difficult Pringle maneuver in laparoscopic liver resection and evaluation of alternative procedures to assist bleeding control.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the predictors of a difficult Pringle maneuver (PM) in laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) and to assess alternative procedures to PM. METHODS: Data from patients undergoing LLR between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed and the outcomes of patients who underwent PM or alternative procedures were compared. RESULTS: Among 106 patients who underwent LLR, PM could not be performed in 18 (17.0%) because of abdominal adhesions in 14 (77.8%) and/or collateral flow around the hepatoduodenal ligament in 5 (27.8%). Multivariate analysis revealed that Child-Pugh classification B (p = 0.034) and previous liver resection (p < 0.001) were independently associated with difficulty in performing PM in LLR. We evaluated pre-coagulation of liver tissue using microwave tissue coagulators, saline irrigation monopolar, clamping of the hepatoduodenal ligament using an intestinal clip, and hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery as alternatives procedures to PM. There were no significant differences in blood loss (p = 0.391) or transfusion (p = 0.518) between the PM and alternative procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Child-Pugh classification B and previous liver resection were identified as predictors of a difficult PM in LLR. The alternative procedures were found to be effective.

Newly-revised Pringle maneuver using laparoscopic Satinsky vascular clamp for repeat laparoscopic hepatectomy.

It has been known that repeat laparoscopic hepatectomy (RLH) after open hepatectomy is technically challenging because of adhesions around the hilum. It is quite often that conventional tourniquet technique for the Pringle maneuver is difficult in RLH, and we introduced Laparoscopic Satinsky Vascular Clamp (LSVC) for inflow control in RLH. The Spiegel lobe is the anatomical landmark in LSVC technique. If a space behind the hepatoduodenal ligament and the Spiegel lobe was obtained, LSVC was applied laterally from the left side of the hepatoduodenal ligament, whereas LSVC was vertically applied for those with obstruction of a space behind the hepatoduodenal ligament. We performed 14 cases of RLH for those with histories of open hepatectomies by lateral (n = 6) and vertical (n = 8) LSVC technique with successful inflow control, confirmed by intraoperative Doppler ultrasound. Five patients underwent 2 or more previous histories of hepatectomies. The RLH included segmentectomy (n = 1), subsegmentectomy (n = 2) and partial hepatectomy (n = 11). The median time for the Pringle maneuver, operative time, and blood loss was 47 min, 237.5 min, and 160 mL. All the patients completed pure laparoscopic hepatectomy. In conclusion, LSVC technique is a safe and reliable technique for the Pringle maneuver in RLH.

[Perioperative risk factors of bleeding in extensive liver resections]. / Perioperatsionnye faktory riska krovotecheniya pri obshirnykh rezektsiyakh pecheni.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors of severe blood loss in extensive liver resections, consequences of hemorrhagic problems and their correction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 374 patients. Group 1 comprised 282 patients (118 men and 164 women aged 54.1±0.7 years) who underwent surgery between 2000 and 2012. Group 2 included 92 patients (34 women and 58 men aged 53.6±1.3 years) operated on for the period 2013-2019. RESULTS: Technical equipment for mobilization and dissection of hepatic parenchyma has fundamentally changed for the period 2013-2019. This processes reduced blood loss by more 50% and consumption of donor blood components (red blood cells by 2.8 times, FFP by 1.8 times). Compression of hepatoduodenal ligament (Pringle maneuver) and tumor type did not affect intraoperative blood loss. Neoplasms over 10 cm increased blood loss. An increase in the number of resected segments by 2 times contributed to increase of blood loss by 2.7 times. Body mass index >25 kg/m2 was also associated with higher blood loss.

A novel simple intra-corporeal Pringle maneuver for laparoscopic hemihepatectomy: how we do it.

INTRODUCTION: To prevent and control hemorrhage is the key to successfully perform laparoscopic hemihepatectomy (LHH). Pringle's maneuver (PM) is the standard hepatic inflow occlusion technique. Our study was to describe a novel simple way to perform totally intra-corporeal laparoscopic PM and to explore the feasibility of combining PM and selective hemihepatic vascular occlusion technique in LHH. METHODS: We extracted and analyzed the data of patients who consecutively underwent LHH to validate this new surgery technique. Between January, 2016 and December, 2017, 34 patients were included. Data of pre-operation, operation and post-operation were collected, including some demographic data, operative time, operative blood loss, transfusion rate, hepatic hilum occlusion rate and time, pathologic results, short-term complication, and postoperative hospitalization days. RESULTS: Only one patient (3.0%) in our series required conversion to laparotomy as a result of the severe adhesion. The average operative time was 216.9 ± 60.3 min. The mean hepatic inflow occlusion time was 25.3 ± 14.5 min. The average estimated blood loss was 192.9 ± 152.2 ml. All patients received R0 resection. CONCLUSION: The novel hepatic inflow occlusion device is a safe reliable and convenient technique for LHH that is associated with favorable perioperative outcomes and low risk of conversion.