Improving the Surgical Outcomes after Liver Resection with ERAS Program.

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been accepted as the program to improve the surgical outcomes. This program has been increasingly utilized in liver resection. Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of patients underwent liver resection by applying ERAS program. Material and Method: All patients underwent liver resection between January 2007 and April 2011 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital were included into the present study. Patients' characteristics, preoperative factors, operative data, postoperative care that correlated to ERAS components, and postoperative outcomes were recorded. Outcomes including postoperative length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) stay, complications, rate of reoperation, interventional treatment, and mortality were compared between patients in ERAS group (applied ERAS components >4) and conventional group (applied ERAS components <4). Results: Three hundred forty seven patients were enrolled in present the study. There were 165 and 182 patients in ERAS and conventional groups, respectively. When compared between these two groups, ERAS group had better postoperative LOS (7 days vs. 10 days; p = 0.0001), ICU stay (0 days vs. 1 days; p = 0.0001), reoperation rate (1.2% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.047) and reintervention rate (15% vs. 27%; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in complication rate (31% vs. 40%; p = 0.096) and mortality rate (0.6% vs. 1.1%; p = 0.62). Conclusion: ERAS program improves the surgical outcomes in patients who underwent liver resection.

Role of portal vein embolization in hepatobiliary malignancy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inadequate remnant liver volume is the major cause of postoperative liver failure. Preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) is the well accepted procedure to increase future liver remnant (FLR) volume and decrease the incidence of this complication. This study described the author's experience of preoperative PVE at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital since 2002. METHODOLOGY: The clinical data of 29 patients who underwent PVE were reviewed. The FLR volumes before and after the procedure were calculated by CT volumetry. PVE was performed when estimated FLR volume was < 25% in normal liver or < 40% in damaged liver and also when major liver resection combined with major intraabdominal surgery was planned. The complications after PVE and hepatectomy were recorded. RESULTS: There were no deaths or complications after PVE. The mean growth of FLR was 11%. Power of liver regeneration was suboptimal in old age patients. Sixteen patients underwent liver resection (resectability rate 55.17%). There were 2 cases of postoperative hyperbilirubinemia (12.5%). The hospital mortality rate was 1/16 (6.25%). CONCLUSIONS: PVE is a useful and safe optional procedure to increase FLR. It not only reduces the postoperative liver failure but also increases the chance of curative resection.