Preoperative chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and adverse effects of preoperative transcatheter chemoembolization (CE) on surgical resection, postoperative outcome, and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. DESIGN: A before-after trial comparing a group of patients undergoing liver resection after CE (CE group) with a group of patients undergoing liver resection without prior CE (control group), matched for tumor size and underlying liver disease. SETTING: A tertiary care university hospital in a metropolitan area. PATIENTS: Twenty-four patients in each group, treated between 1986 and 1992. INTERVENTIONS: A mean of 1.6+/-0.2 preoperative CE procedures were performed per patient in the CE group. Tumorectomies, segmentectomies, and major liver resections were performed with a comparable frequency in each group. RESULTS: Overall, CE was not associated with a significant reduction of tumor size (7.8+/-1 cm prior to CE vs 7.1+/-1 cm after CE) or alpha-fetoprotein levels (2560+/-2091 microg/L prior to CE vs 1788+/-1270 microg/L after the last CE). Chemoembolization promoted tumor necrosis but did not influence tumor encapsulation, invasion of the capsule, venous permeation, presence of daughter nodules, or surgical margins. Liver resection was rendered more difficult by preoperative CE as a result of pediculitis and gallbladder lesions in 37% of patients, but the postoperative course was not altered. Disease-free survival (33%+/-12% vs 32%+/-12% at 3 years) and overall survival were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Convincing evidence is lacking to support systematic preoperative CE in patients with initially resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Further studies should aim to identify the subgroup of patients who may benefit from this neoadjuvant treatment.

Laparoscopic mobilization of the stomach for oesophageal replacement.

Nine patients of mean(s.d.) age 61(8) years underwent oesophagogastrectomy with laparoscopic gastric mobilization and abdominal lymphadenectomy for oesophageal cancer. Moderate to severe airway obstruction was present in all patients, in whom the mean(s.d.) value of forced expiratory flow rate at 1 s was 65(17) (range 35-85) per cent of the predicted value. Six patients had an abdominal laparoscopic approach combined with a right open thoracotomy; the other three had a laparoscopic abdominal and transhiatal approach combined with a left cervicotomy. No patient required conversion to open laparotomy. All had an uneventful postoperative course with extubation occurring at the end of the surgical procedure (n = 2) or on day 1 after operation (n = 7). Mean(s.d.) duration of hospitalization was 10.3(3.1) (range 8-18) days. The laparoscopic approach for gastric mobilization and abdominal lymphadenectomy is safe and can be used in patients with impaired pulmonary function.

High preoperative serum alanine transferase levels: effect on the risk of liver resection in Child grade A cirrhotic patients.

Despite careful selection of cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver resection remains associated with a greater risk than in patients without underlying liver disease. In this study we assessed by multivariate analysis parameters associated with in-hospital mortality and morbidity in a selected group of 108 Child-Pugh A cirrhotic patients undergoing liver resection of HCC. The overall incidences of in-hospital deaths and postoperative complications were 8.3% and 48.1%, respectively. By univariate analysis, the preoperative serum alanine transferase (ALT) level (p = 0.001) and intraoperative transfusions (p = 0.01) were significantly associated with in-hospital death; however, only the serum ALT concentration was an independent risk factor. In-hospital mortality rates in patients whose serum ALT was below 2N (twofold the upper limit of the normal value), between 2N and 4N, and more than 4N were 3.9%, 13.0%, and 37.5%, respectively. An ALT level greater than 2N was predominantly observed in patients with a hepatitis C virus infection and significantly associated with histologic features of superimposed active hepatitis. Patients with an ALT level greater than 2N experienced an increased incidence of postoperative ascites (58% versus 32%, p = 0.01), kidney failure (16% versus 0%, p = 0.0003), and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (6.4% versus 0%, p = 0.02). These results indicate that the preoperative ALT level is a reliable predictor of in-hospital mortality and morbidity following liver resection in Child-Pugh A cirrhotic patients. Cirrhotic patients with ALT > 2N should undergo only a limited resection; if a larger resection is required, those patients should be considered for nonsurgical therapy or liver transplantation.

Laparoscopy extends the indications for liver resection in patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical or biological evidence of liver failure is usually considered a contraindication to open liver surgery as it is associated with a prohibitive risk of postoperative death. METHODS: This report describes three patients who had resection of a superficial hepatocellular carcinoma suspected either to be ruptured, or at high risk of rupture, using the laparoscopic approach. All three patients had intractable ascites, in two superimposed on active hepatitis. Surgery was per- formed under continuous carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum with intermittent clamping of the hepatic pedicle. RESULTS: Intraoperative blood loss was between 100 and 400 ml; no blood transfusion was required. The postoperative course was uneventful except for a transient leak of ascites through the trocar wounds. Duration of in-hospital stay was 6-10 days. Liver function tests had returned to preoperative values within 1 month of surgery in all patients. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic approach may enable liver resection in patients with cirrhosis and evidence of liver failure that would contraindicate open surgery.

Continuous versus intermittent portal triad clamping for liver resection: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: The authors compared the intra- and postoperative course of patients undergoing liver resections under continuous pedicular clamping (CPC) or intermittent pedicular clamping (IPC). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Reduced blood loss during liver resection is achieved by pedicular clamping. There is controversy about the benefits of IPC over CPC in humans in terms of hepatocellular injury and blood loss control in normal and abnormal liver parenchyma. METHODS: Eighty-six patients undergoing liver resections were included in a prospective randomized study comparing the intra- and postoperative course under CPC (n = 42) or IPC (n = 44) with periods of 15 minutes of clamping and 5 minutes of unclamping. The data were further analyzed according to the presence (steatosis >20% and chronic liver disease) or absence of abnormal liver parenchyma. RESULTS: The two groups of patients were similar in terms of age, sex, nature of the liver tumors, results of preoperative assessment, proportion of patients undergoing major or minor hepatectomy, and nature of nontumorous liver parenchyma. Intraoperative blood loss during liver transsection was significantly higher in the IPC group. In the CPC group, postoperative liver enzymes and serum bilirubin levels were significantly higher in the subgroup of patients with abnormal liver parenchyma. Major postoperative deterioration of liver function occurred in four patients with abnormal liver parenchyma, with two postoperative deaths. All of them were in the CPC group. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical controlled study clearly demonstrated the better parenchymal tolerance to IPC over CPC, especially in patients with abnormal liver parenchyma.