A Multidimensional Bioinformatic Platform for the Study of Human Response to Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To design and establish a prospective biospecimen repository that integrates multi-omics assays with clinical data to study mechanisms of controlled injury and healing. BACKGROUND: Elective surgery is an opportunity to understand both the systemic and focal responses accompanying controlled and well-characterized injury to the human body. The overarching goal of this ongoing project is to define stereotypical responses to surgical injury, with the translational purpose of identifying targetable pathways involved in healing and resilience, and variations indicative of aberrant peri-operative outcomes. METHODS: Clinical data from the electronic medical record combined with large-scale biological data sets derived from blood, urine, fecal matter, and tissue samples are collected prospectively through the peri-operative period on patients undergoing 14 surgeries chosen to represent a range of injury locations and intensities. Specimens are subjected to genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic assays to describe their genetic, metabolic, immunologic, and microbiome profiles, providing a multidimensional landscape of the human response to injury. RESULTS: The highly multiplexed data generated includes changes in over 28,000 mRNA transcripts, 100 plasma metabolites, 200 urine metabolites, and 400 proteins over the longitudinal course of surgery and recovery. In our initial pilot dataset, we demonstrate the feasibility of collecting high quality multi-omic data at pre- and postoperative time points and are already seeing evidence of physiologic perturbation between timepoints. CONCLUSIONS: This repository allows for longitudinal, state-of-the-art geno-mic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, immunologic, and clinical data collection and provides a rich and stable infrastructure on which to fuel further biomedical discovery.

Using Radiographic Domain for Evaluating Indications in Abdominal Wall Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no description of abdominal domain changes in small bowel transplantation population or consensus of criteria regarding which patients are at high risk for immediate postoperative abdominal wall complications or would benefit from abdominal wall vascularized composite allotransplantation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on 14 adult patients receiving intestinal or multivisceral transplantation. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans were reviewed, and multiple variables were collected regarding abdominal domain and volume and analyzed comparing postoperative changes and abdominal wall complications. RESULTS: Patients after intestinal or multivisceral transplantation had a mean reduction in overall intraperitoneal volume in the immediate postoperative period from 9031 cm3 to 7846 cm3 (P = 0.314). This intraperitoneal volume was further reduced to an average of 6261 cm3 upon radiographic evaluation greater than 1 year postoperatively (P = 0.024). Patients with preexisting abdominal wound (P = 0.002), radiation, or presence of ostomy (P = 0.047) were significantly associated with postoperative abdominal wall complications. No preoperative radiographic findings had a significant association with postoperative abdominal wall complications. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography imaging demonstrates that intestinal and multivisceral transplant patients have significant reduction in intraperitoneal volume and domain after transplantation in the acute and delayed postoperative setting. Preoperative radiographic abdominal domain was not able to predict patients with postoperative abdominal wall complications. Patients with abdominal wounds, ostomies, and preoperative radiation therapy were associated with acute postoperative abdominal complications and may be considered for need of reconstructive techniques including abdominal wall transplantation.

Definition and Analysis of Textbook Outcome: A Novel Quality Measure in Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: "Textbook outcome" (TO) is a novel composite quality measure that encompasses multiple postoperative endpoints, representing the ideal "textbook" hospitalization for complex surgical procedures. We defined TO for kidney transplantation using a cohort from a high-volume institution. METHODS: Adult patients who underwent isolated kidney transplantation at our institution between 2016 and 2019 were included. TO was defined by clinician consensus at our institution to include freedom from intraoperative complication, postoperative reintervention, 30-day intensive care unit or hospital readmission, length of stay > 75th percentile of kidney transplant patients, 90-day mortality, 30-day acute rejection, delayed graft function, and discharge with a Foley catheter. Recipient, operative, financial characteristics, and post-transplant patient, graft, and rejection-free survival were compared between patients who achieved and failed to achieve TO. RESULTS: A total of 557 kidney transplant patients were included. Of those, 245 (44%) achieved TO. The most common reasons for TO failure were delayed graft function (N = 157, 50%) and hospital readmission within 30 days (N = 155, 50%); the least common was mortality within 90 days (N = 6, 2%). Patient, graft, and rejection-free survival were significantly improved among patients who achieved TO. On average, patients who achieved TO incurred approximately $50,000 less in total inpatient charges compared to those who failed TO. CONCLUSIONS: TO in kidney transplantation was associated with favorable post-transplant outcomes and significant cost-savings. TO may offer transplant centers a detailed performance breakdown to identify aspects of perioperative care in need of process improvement.

Decreased graft loss following implementation of the kidney allocation score (KAS).

BACKGROUND: The Kidney Allocation System (KAS) was developed to improve equity and utility in organ allocation. We examine the effect of this change on kidney graft distribution and survival. METHODS: UNOS data was used to identify first-time adult recipients of a deceased donor kidney-alone transplant pre-KAS (Jan 2012-Dec 2014, n = 26,612) and post-KAS (Jan 2015-Dec 2017, n = 30,701), as well as grafts recovered Jan 2012-Jun 2019. RESULTS: Post-KAS, kidneys were more likely to experience cold ischemia time >24 h (20.0% vs. 18.8%, p < 0.001) and experienced more delayed graft function, though competing risks modeling demonstrated a lower hazard of graft loss post-KAS, HR 0.90 (95% CI 0.84-0.97, p = 0.007). Post-policy, KDPI >85% kidneys were more likely to be shared regionally (37% vs. 14%), and more likely to be discarded (60.6% vs. 54.9%) after the policy change. KDPI >85% graft and patient survival did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the KAS has increased sharing of high-KDPI kidneys and has decreased the hazard of graft loss without an impact on patient survival.

Synchronous Abdominal Wall and Small-bowel Transplantation: A 1-year Follow-up.

Abdominal wall-vascularized composite allotransplantation (AW-VCA) has evolved as a technically feasible but challenging option in the rare event of abdominal wall reconstruction in patients whose abdomen cannot be closed by applying conventional methods. The authors conducted the first synchronous child-to-adult recipient AW-VCA using an arteriovenous loop technique. This article presents a 1-year follow-up of the patient's postoperative course. Frequent skin biopsies were performed in accordance with Duke Institutional Review Board protocol, with 3 episodes of rejection treated with high-dose steroids and Thymoglobulin (Genzyme Corp, Cambridge, Mass.). The patient developed an opportunistic fungal brain abscess secondary to immunosuppression, which led to temporary upper extremity weakness. Future considerations for AW-VCA include a modified surgical technique involving utilization of donor vein graft for arteriovenous loop formation. In addition, reduction in postoperative biopsy schedule and changes in immunosuppression regimen may lead to improved outcomes and prevent unnecessary high-dose immunosuppression.

Surgical Techniques for Revascularization in Abdominal Wall Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall vascularized composite allotransplantation (AW-VCA) can be considered as a technically feasible option for abdominal wall reconstruction in patients whose abdomen cannot be closed using traditional methods. However, successful initial abdominal wall revascularization in the setting of visceral organ transplantation can pose a major challenge as graft ischemia time, operating in a limited surgical field, and variable recipient and donor anatomy must be considered. Several techniques have been reported to accomplish abdominal wall revascularization. METHODS: A literature review was performed using PubMed for articles related to "abdominal wall transplantation (AWT)." The authors of this study sorted through this search for relevant publications that describe abdominal wall transplant anatomy, technical descriptions, and outcomes of various techniques. RESULTS: A total of four distinct revascularization techniques were found in the literature. Each of these techniques was described by the respective authors and reported varying patient outcomes. Levi et al published a landmark article in 2003 that described technical feasibility of AWT with anastomosis between donor external iliac and inferior epigastric vessels with recipient common iliac vessels in end-to-side fashion. Cipriani et al described a microsurgical technique with anastomosis between donor and recipient inferior epigastric vessels in an end-to-end fashion. Giele et al subsequently proposed banking the abdominal wall allograft in the forearm to reduce graft ischemia time. Recently, Erdmann et al described the utilization of an arteriovenous loop for synchronous revascularization of abdominal wall and visceral transplants for reduction of ischemia time, operative time, while eliminating the need for further operations. CONCLUSION: Vascularized composite allotransplantation continues to advance with improving immunotherapy and outcomes in solid organ transplantation. Optimizing surgical techniques remains paramount as the field continues to grow. Refinement of the presented methods will continue as additional evidence and outcomes become available in AW-VCA.

Comparison between liver transplantation and resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (hCCA) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with R0 resection being currently the only option for long-term survival. With the improvement in the outcomes of liver transplantation (LT), the indications for LT have expanded to include other malignant tumors, such as hCCA. The aim of the present analysis is to demonstrate and critically evaluate the outcomes of LT compared to resection with curative intent in patients with hCCA. METHODS: We systematically searched the literature for articles published up to May 2018. The following algorithm was applied ((hilar cholangiocarcinoma) OR (perihilar cholangiocarcinoma) OR klatskin$ OR (bile duct neoplasm) OR cholangiocarcinoma) AND (transplant$ OR graft$). RESULTS: Neoadjuvant treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy was far more common in the LT group, with very few patients having received preoperative therapy in the resection group (p = 0.0005). Moreover, length of hospital stay was shorter after LT than after resection (p<0.00001). In contrast, no difference was found between the two treatment methods concerning postoperative mortality (p = 0.57). There was a trend towards longer overall survival after LT in comparison with resection. This was not obvious in the first year postoperatively, however, the advantage of LT over resection became obvious at 3 years after the operation (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In non-disseminated unresectable tumors, LT seems to have a non-inferior survival. In the same patients, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and/or strict selection criteria may contribute to superior survival outcomes compared to curative-intent resection. Due to the scarcity of level 1 evidence, it remains unclear whether LT should be increasingly considered for technically resectable early stage hCCA.

Application of a Novel CT-Based Iliac Artery Calcification Scoring System for Predicting Renal Transplant Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess whether the degree and distribution of iliac artery calcifications as determined by a CT-based calcium scoring system correlates with outcomes after renal transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of renal transplant recipients who underwent CT of the pelvis within 2 years before surgery yielded 131 patients: 75 men and 56 women with a mean age of 52 years. Three radiologists assigned a separate semiquantitative score for calcification length, circumferential involvement, and morphology for the common iliac arteries and for the external iliac arteries. The operative and clinical notes were reviewed to determine which iliac arterial segment was used for anastomosis, the complexity of the operation, and whether delayed graft function (DGF) occurred. Renal allograft survival and patient survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier technique. RESULTS: Excellent interobserver agreement was noted for each calcification score category. The common iliac arteries showed significantly higher average calcification scores than the external iliac arteries for all categories. Advanced age and diabetes mellitus were independently predictive of higher scores in each category, whereas hypertension, cigarette smoking, hyperlipidemia, and sex were not. Based on multivariate analysis, only the calcification morphology score of the arterial segment used for anastomosis was independently predictive of a higher rate of surgical complexity and of DGF. None of the scores was predictive of graft or patient survival. However, patients with CT evidence of iliac arterial calcification had a lower 1-year survival after transplant than those who did not (92% vs 98%, respectively; p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Only the calcification morphology score of the arterial segment used for anastomosis was significantly predictive of surgical complexity and of DGF. Routine pretransplant CT for calcification scoring in patients of advanced age or those with diabetes mellitus may enable selection of the optimal artery for anastomosis to optimize outcomes.

Immunosuppressive protocols and immunological challenges related to hand transplantation.

There are many immunological challenges related to hand transplantation. Curbing the immune system's ability to effectively mount an immune response against the graft is the goal. As the various components of the immune response are defined and their mechanisms of action delineated, more specific immunosuppressive agents and protocols have been developed. Complications related to immunosuppression in hand transplant recipients are similar to incidences among solid organ recipients. With longer follow-up, the increased cardiovascular risk factors or the development of a neoplasm will likely cause mortality. Standardizing immunosuppression in hand transplantation with the long-term goal of minimization is critically needed.

Development of an upper extremity transplant program.

Starting a hand transplant program poses tremendous challenges. Solid organ transplantation and hand replantation are time-tested procedures and are now standard of care. Hand transplantation is the amalgamation of the scientific principles of reconstructive surgery and the concepts of organ transplantation. Thus, for any hand transplant program to be successful, there must be collaboration within a multidisciplinary team comprising a core group of hand and transplant surgeons. Such a joint effort can overcome the challenges that are inherent in a complex therapeutic option that integrates different disciplines and organizations during the planning, procedural, and posttransplant phases.

Minimally invasive liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer: a multi-institutional, international report of safety, feasibility, and early outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a multicenter, international series on minimally invasive liver resection for colorectal carcinoma (CRC) metastasis. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Multiple single series have been reported on laparoscopic liver resection for CRC metastasis. We report the first collaborative multicenter, international series to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and oncologic integrity of laparoscopic liver resection for CRC metastasis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent minimally invasive liver resection for CRC metastasis from February 2000 to September 2008 from multiple medical centers from the United States and Europe. The multicenter series of patients were accumulated into a single database. Patient demographics, preoperative, operative, and postoperative characteristics were analyzed. Actuarial overall survival was calculated with Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients underwent minimally invasive liver resection for CRC metastasis. The median age was 63 years (range, 32-88 years) with 51% females. The most common sites of primary colon cancer were sigmoid/rectum (51%), right colon (25%), and left colon (13%). Synchronous liver lesions were present in 11% of patients. For those with metachronous lesions liver lesions, the median time interval from primary colon cancer surgery to liver metastasectomy was 12 months. Preoperative chemotherapy was administered in 68% of cases prior to liver resection. The majority of patients underwent prior abdominal operations (95%). Minimally invasive approaches included totally laparoscopic (56%) and hand-assisted laparoscopic (41%), the latter of which was employed more frequently in the US medical centers (85%) compared with European centers (13%) (P = 0.001). There were 4 conversions to open surgery (3.7%), all due to bleeding. Extents of resection include wedge/segmentectomy (34%), left lateral sectionectomy (27%), right hepatectomy (28%), left hepatectomy (9%), extended right hepatectomy (0.9%), and caudate lobectomy (0.9%). Major liver resections (> or =3 segments) were performed in 45% of patients. Median OR time was 234 minutes (range, 60-555 minutes) and blood loss was 200 mL (range, 20-2500 mL) with 10% receiving a blood transfusion. There were no reported perioperative deaths and a 12% complication rate. Median length of hospital stay for the entire series was 4 days (range, 1-22 days) with a shorter stay in medical centers in the United States (3 days) versus that seen in Europe (6 days) (P = 0.001). Negative margins were achieved in 94.4% of patients. Actuarial overall survivals at 1-, 3-, and 5-year for the entire series were 88%, 69%, and 50%, respectively. Disease-free survivals at 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 65%, 43%, and 43%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive liver resection for colorectal metastasis is safe, feasible, and oncologically comparable to open liver resection for both minor and major liver resections, even with prior intra-abdominal operations, in selected patients and when performed by experienced surgeons.

Increasing utilization of human T-cell lymphotropic virus (+) donors in liver transplantation: is it safe?

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation is the best treatment option for endstage liver disease. The human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) has been associated with leukemia/lymphoma and progressive neurologic disease. There has, however, been an increased utilization of HTLV (+) grafts with little data available to support or discourage their use. METHODS: We performed univariate and multivariate analyses related to graft and patient survival for recipients of HTLV (+) donors and compared them with recipients of HTLV (-) donors using the United Network for Organ Sharing database. Complete analysis of recipient and donor clinical and demographic factors was performed. RESULTS: There were 81 adult recipients of HTLV (+) donors and 29,747 HTLV (-) donor recipients. HTLV (+) donors were more likely to be older, women, and black, with a higher average donor risk index and creatinine, and were more likely to be shared nationally. Recipients of HTLV (+) organs were at slightly elevated risk of graft failure (HR=1.39, 95% CI 0.91-2.11) and death (HR=1.20, CI 0.71-2.02) relative to HTLV (-) donor recipients (P=0.12 and 0.5, respectively). The risk decreased after multivariate analysis - graft survival (HR=1.20, CI 0.79-1.83) and patient survival (HR=1.06, CI 0.63-1.79). CONCLUSION: Our analysis reveals no statistically significant difference in graft or patient survival between recipients of HTLV (+) and (-) donors. Serious limitations of these data are that serologic testing for HTLV has a high false positive rate and that there was a short follow-up period. Until these issues are addressed, extreme caution should be exercised when using these organs.

Is selective internal radioembolization safe and effective for patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma and venous thrombosis?

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of selective internal radioembolization (SIR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein or caval thrombosis (VT), or both. Recent reports have demonstrated that SIR is safe for patients with HCC, but the impact on efficacy of venous thrombosis is unknown. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective single-arm study of the use of Therasphere in patients with unresectable HCC enrolled from January 2004 to June 2007. Patients were categorized into three groups based on VT status and therapy. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were enrolled: 20 patients without VT who received SIR, 15 patients with VT who were treated, and 17 patients (10 with VT) who were not treated because of preprocedure screening failure. Fifty-eight treatments were administered, with a median of two treatments per patient (range of one to three treatments). Child's score was different between groups. Of the VT patients treated, 67% had portal VT, 7% had cava VT, and 26% had both. There were no treatment-related deaths. There was no difference in complications among groups (p = 0.34). Treated patients without thrombosis had a median overall survival of 13.9 months versus 2.7 months for those treated with thrombosis and 5.2 months for the untreated group given best supportive care only (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SIR is safe in patients with HCC. Although SIR can be delivered with minimal morbidity, there might be no benefit for patients with VT. Continued emphasis on multimodality therapy in this population is needed to improve survival.

Hand transplantation in the United States: experience with 3 patients.

BACKGROUND: Composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) is a newly emerging field of transplantation that involves the simultaneous transfer of multiple tissues with differing antigenicity. Hand transplantation, the most widely recognized form of CTA, aims to improve function and the quality of life of upper limb amputees. METHODS: In 1999, an institutional review board-approved hand transplantation protocol was implemented at the Jewish Hospital, University of Louisville. Suitable patients were evaluated and underwent hand transplantation. The surgical technique was akin to that used in limb reimplantation, and the immunosuppression protocol used was similar to renal transplantation. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2006, 3 patients underwent hand transplantation at our center. Although episodes of acute rejection were seen in all patients during the early postoperative period, only 1 immunologic event occurred after the first year. Graft function improved with time period. Carroll test scores were superior to those recorded with a prosthesis at the end of 1 year. Additionally, recovery of protective sensation was seen in all 3 patients and limited discriminatory sensation in 2. Complications related to immunosuppression have included cytomegalovirus infection in 2 patients, diabetes in 1, hyperlipidemia in 2, and osteonecrosis in 1. At a follow-up of 8, 6, and 1 year(s), all the recipients are healthy and have returned to a productive life. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term success reported here should encourage wider application of the CTA in general and hand transplantation in particular. Methods of minimizing long-term immunosuppression need to be pursued.

Experience with more than 500 minimally invasive hepatic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate our experience with more than 500 minimally invasive hepatic procedures. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Recent data have confirmed the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive liver surgery. Despite these reports, no programmatic approach to minimally invasive liver surgery has been proposed. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent a minimally invasive procedure for the management of hepatic tumors between January 2001 and April 2008. Patients were divided into 3 groups: laparoscopy with intraoperative ultrasound and biopsy only, laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and minimally invasive resection. To compare the various forms of surgery, we analyzed the incidence of complications, tumor recurrence, mortality, and cost. Statistical analysis was performed using chi(2) analysis, Student t test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with the log-rank test, and multivariable Cox models. RESULTS: A total of 590 minimally invasive hepatic procedures were performed during 489 operative interventions. The representative tumor histologies were: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; N = 210), colorectal carcinoma (N = 40), miscellaneous liver metastases (N = 42), biliary cancer (N = 20), and benign tumors (N = 176). Thirty-five patients underwent laparoscopic ultrasound and confirmatory biopsy alone; 201 patients underwent 240 laparoscopic RFAs, and 253 patients underwent 306 minimally invasive resections. Conversion rates to open surgery for the RFA and resection group were 2% overall. One hundred ninety-nine (40.6%) patients were cirrhotic; 31 resections were performed in cirrhotic patients. Complication and mortality rates for RFA and resection were comparable (11% vs. 16%, and 1.5% vs. 1.6%). However, complication rates (14% vs. 29%; P = 0.02) and mortality (0.3% vs. 9.7%; P = 0.006) rates were higher in the cirrhotic versus noncirrhotic resection group. Overall recurrence rates for RFA and resection groups were 24% and 23%, respectively. Local recurrence rates were higher in the RFA group (6.3% versus 1.5%; P < 0.06). Overall patient survival differed between HCC patients receiving RFA alone and those receiving RFA and OLT (P < 0.0001). Overall survival for cancer patients receiving RFA versus resection differed significantly when unadjusted for other covariates (P = 0.01), and remained marginally significant in a multivariable model (P = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive hepatic surgery has become a viable alternative to open hepatic surgery. Our present data are equivalent or superior to those encountered in any large open series. Our experience with RFA confirms a low local recurrence rate and an excellent technique for bridging patients to transplantation. Morbidity and mortality rates for minimally invasive hepatic resections in cirrhotics, is similar to other reported open resection series. This series confirmed excellent interim survival rates after laparoscopic HR and superiority over RFA in the treatment of cancer, with significantly lower local tumor recurrence rate.

Treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality both in the United States and worldwide. In the United States, it is projected that over 2,000,000 persons have ALD, and the mortality for cirrhosis with superimposed alcoholic hepatitis is much worse than that of many common types of cancer. Unfortunately, there is no FDA approved therapy for ALD. We have made major strides in the last decade in identifying mechanisms for the development of liver injury in ALD, and therapies are evolving directed at specific mechanisms. It is clear that life style modification with abstinence, cessation of smoking and weight loss (if overweight) are beneficial. It is also clear that most patients with advanced liver disease have some form of malnutrition, and nutritional supplementation is of benefit. Patients with alcoholic hepatitis that is relatively severe in nature, but not complicated by issues such as infection or GI bleeding, appear to benefit from steroids. A drop in bilirubin should be monitored in steroid treated patients. Pentoxifylline appears to be beneficial in patients with alcoholic hepatitis, especially those with early hepatorenal syndrome. A variety of other agents such as PTU, lecithin, colchicine, and anabolic steroids are probably not effective. Complementary and alternative medicine agents such as zinc, milk thistle, and SAM have great therapeutic rationale. Results of ongoing NIH studies evaluating agents such as specific anti-TNF's, SAM and Milk Thistle are eagerly awaited. Transplantation is clearly an option for end stage ALD in patients who are abstinent.

Current management of sinusoidal portal hypertension.

Portal hypertension resulting from cirrhosis was one of the biggest challenges faced by general surgeons up until the past two decades. The management of portal hypertensive variceal hemorrhage has undergone dramatic changes during this period. Endoscopic variceal ligation and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are currently used with great success. The degree of liver dysfunction remains the most important determinant of outcome in these patients. Patients with cirrhosis who have good liver function and recurrent variceal bleed remain candidates for shunt surgery. However, the need for surgical intervention has become a rarity. The success of liver transplantation has ensured that portal hypertension is cured permanently and one does not often see the critically ill and decompensated patient with cirrhosis on the surgical service. A review of the current treatment options in this very ill patient population is the primary focus of this article.

Hepatic imaging characteristics predict overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pathologic tumor-related factors, including vascular invasion, remain the only reliable predictor of recurrence and overall survival in hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Other preoperative factors, such as hepatitis status, degree of liver disease (cirrhosis), number of tumors, and size of tumors have been inconsistent in predicting outcome. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that standard radiological imaging characteristics will predict overall survival in HCC. METHODS: We identified 103 HCC treated in our department from January 1999 to June 2005. All images were reviewed by two blinded physicians and classified into one of three radiological characteristics: pusher/mass forming (well encapsulated without parenchymal violation), invader (non-encapsulated with violation of parenchyma), and hanger/pedunculated (encapsulated with a majority of the lesion suspended from segments II, III, IV b, V, and / or VI). RESULTS: The study included 61 males and 31 females with a median age of 61 years (range 23 to 90 years), a median of one lesion (range 1-10), a majority with <25% liver involvement, with a median lesion size of 6 cm (range 1 to 22 cm). Surgical therapy included hepatic resection 34 (33%), RFA 23 (22%), and liver transplantation 21 (20%). The distribution of radiological characteristics at initial evaluation was 54% pushers, 41% invaders, and 4% hangers. Median survival for invaders (8.2 months) and hangers (10.0 months) was significantly lower than for pushers (median 29 months) (p = 0.0007). CONCLUSION: Standard, reproducible radiological characteristics are predictive of outcome in patients with HCC. Greater emphasis on identifying preoperative factors remains imperative to better identify patients' biology and determine which should undergo resection or transplantation.

Transplantation of the hand, face, and composite structures: evolution and current status.

This article reviews the world experience in the newly emerging field of composite tissue allotransplantation. These allografts contain multiple tissues that are usually musculoskeletal structures with a skin or epithelial surface, such as hand, facial structures, larynx, tongue, ear, knee/femur, abdominal wall, and penis. They represent a new transplantation field, with only a 10-year experience and just over 50 clinical cases. This review of the 10-year world experience found uniform technical success, immunologic biology, and immunosuppression regimens very similar to solid organ transplants, and success strongly correlated with adherence to guidelines for psychiatric screening, thorough preparation of patient and families, intense postoperative monitoring, and assurance of medication access. All failures reported have been caused by lapses in these parameters. This early experience shows a great potential for application of these new procedures to the most challenging reconstructive needs.