Evaluation of cytomegalovirus prophylaxis in low and intermediate risk kidney transplant recipients receiving lymphocyte-depleting induction.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant cause of morbidity in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Historically at our institution, KTR with low and intermediate CMV risk received 6 months of valganciclovir if they received lymphocyte depleting induction therapy. This study evaluates choice and duration of CMV prophylaxis based on donor (D) and recipient (R) CMV serostatus and the incidence of post-transplant CMV viremia in low (D-/R-) and intermediate (R+) risk KTR receiving lymphocyte-depleting induction therapy. A protocol utilizing valacyclovir for 3 months for D-/R- and valganciclovir for 3 months for R+ was evaluated. Adult D-/R- and R+ KTR receiving anti-thymocyte globulin, rabbit or alemtuzumab induction from 8/20/2016 to 9/30/2018 were evaluated through 1 year post-transplant. Patients were excluded if their CMV serostatus was D+/R-, received a multi-organ transplant, or received basiliximab. Seventy-seven subjects met the inclusion criteria: 25 D-/R- (4 historic group, 21 experimental group) and 52 R+ (31 historic, 21 experimental). No D-/R- patients experienced CMV viremia. Among the R+ historic and experimental groups, there was no significant difference in viremia incidence (35.5% vs 52.4%; P = .573). Of these cases, the peak viral load was similar between the groups (median [IQR], 67 [<200-444] vs <50 [<50-217]; P = .711), and there was no difference in the incidence of CMV syndrome (16.1% vs 14.3%; P = 1.000) or CMV related hospitalization (12.9% vs 14.3%; P = 1.000). No patient experienced tissue invasive disease. These results suggest limiting valganciclovir exposure may be possible in low and intermediate risk KTR receiving lymphocyte-depleting induction therapy with no apparent impact on CMV-related outcomes.

Service Requirements of Liver Transplant Anesthesia Teams: Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia Recommendations.

There are disparities in liver transplant anesthesia team (LTAT) care across the United States. However, no policies address essential resources for liver transplant anesthesia services similar to other specialists. In response, the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia appointed a task force to develop national recommendations. The Conditions of Transplant Center Participation were adapted to anesthesia team care and used to develop Delphi statements. A Delphi panel was put together by enlisting 21 experts from the fields of liver transplant anesthesiology and surgery, hepatology, critical care, and transplant nursing. Each panelist rated their agreement with and the importance of 17 statements. Strong support for the necessity and importance of 13 final items were as follows: resources, including preprocedure anesthesia assessment, advanced monitoring, immediate availability of consultants, and the presence of a documented expert in liver transplant anesthesia credentialed at the site of practice; call coverage, including schedules to assure uninterrupted coverage and methods to communicate availability; and characteristics of the team, including membership criteria, credentials at the site of practice, and identification of who supervises patient care. Unstructured comments identified competing time obligations for anesthesia and transplant services as the principle reason that the remaining recommendations to attend integrative patient selection and quality review committees were reduced to a suggestion rather than being a requirement. This has important consequences because deficits in team integration cause higher failure rates in service quality, timeliness, and efficiency. Solutions are needed that remove the time-related financial constraints of competing service requirements for anesthesiologists. In conclusion, using a modified Delphi technique, 13 recommendations for the structure of LTATs were agreed upon by a multidisciplinary group of experts.

Opioid Avoidance in Liver Transplant Recipients: Reduction in Postoperative Opioid Use Through a Multidisciplinary Multimodal Approach.

The prevalence of substance use disorder in the liver transplantation (LT) population makes postoperative pain management challenging. We report our initial experience with a novel, comprehensive, multidisciplinary opioid avoidance pathway in 13 LT recipients between January 2018 and September 2019. Patients received comprehensive pre-LT education on postoperative opioid avoidance by the surgeon, pharmacist, and psychologist at the time of listing. Immediately after LT, patients received a continuous incisional ropivacaine infusion, ketamine, acetaminophen, and gabapentin as standard nonopioid medications; rescue opioids were used as needed. We compared outcomes with a historical cohort of 27 LT recipients transplanted between August 2016 and January 2018 managed primarily with opioids. On average, opioid avoidance patients used 92% fewer median (interquartile range [IQR]) morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) versus the historical cohort (7 [1-11] versus 87 [60-130] MME; P < 0.001) per postoperative day over a similar length of stay (8 [7-10] versus 6 [6-10] days; P = 0.14). Fewer outpatient MMEs were prescribed within the first 60 days after LT in the opioid avoidance group versus the historical cohort: 125 (25-150) versus 270 (0-463) MME (P = 0.05). This proof-of-concept study outlines the potential to profoundly reduce opioid utilization in the LT population using a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach.

Successful management of noncirrhotic hyperammonemia syndrome after kidney transplantation from putative Ureaplasma infection.

Noncirrhotic hyperammonemia (NCH) is a rare but often fatal complication of solid organ transplantation. We present a case wherein an infectious cause of NCH was suspected following kidney transplantation (KT) and the patient was promptly started on empirical antibiotic treatment which proved to be lifesaving. A 56-year-old Chinese woman with a past medical history of end-stage renal disease secondary to ischemic nephropathy and cerebrovascular accident received a kidney from a 52-year-old brain-dead donor with a Kidney Donor Profile Index score of 70%. She experienced immediate graft function and was discharged on post-operative day (POD) 4. On POD 10, she presented with a fever, acute onset of confusion, and abdominal pain. Her mental status deteriorated and required emergent intubation. Empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics were initiated. On hospital day 3, a serum ammonia was 889 µmol/L (normal <53 µmol/L). A urine sample was sent for Ureaplasma polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and moxifloxacin and doxycycline were empirically started. Her ammonia rapidly normalized, and her mental status improved 48 hours after antibiotic initiation. She was extubated 5 days into treatment and was discharged after an 11-day hospitalization. Following discharge, her urine test resulted positive for Ureaplasma parvum or Ureaplasma urealyticum DNA detection with the 16S rRNA gene amplification probe. Mental status changes and hyperammonemia in the first 30 days post-KT should raise suspicion for NCH, and prompt empiric treatment with antimicrobials covering Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma should be considered.

Aggressive Epstein-Barr virus-negative B-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in a hepatitis C-negative liver transplant recipient who received a hepatitis C-positive graft: Implications for D+/R- hepatitis C virus seroconversion.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is an uncommon, but well-described complication after liver transplantation. Most recently, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been implicated in the development of PTLD. A HCV-negative 62-year-old man with autoimmune hepatitis received a HCV nucleic acid amplification test-positive liver graft from a 73-year-old brain-dead donor (D+/R-). After his recovery from the operation, the patient was treated for HCV and achieved an undetectable viral load. He was readmitted 6 months after transplant with a spontaneous perisplenic hematoma, weight loss, failure to thrive, low-grade fevers, and abnormal liver function tests. He had a rapid clinical deterioration and expired shortly after admission. His liver biopsy demonstrated EBV-negative monomorphic B-cell PTLD. Our case is the first to report an aggressive early-onset EBV-negative monomorphic B-cell PTLD in a HCV D+/R- liver transplant. This case illustrates the paucity of knowledge on HCV seroconversion and its involvement in EBV-negative monomorphic B-cell PTLD development.

Intravenous Acetaminophen for Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Living Laparoscopic Living-Donor Nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain is a common complication of laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomies (LLDNs). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether intravenous (IV) acetaminophen administration post-LLDN influenced length of stay (LOS) when used for pain management. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study compared patients undergoing LLDN who had received IV acetaminophen for pain control versus those who did not between June 1, 2011, and November 30, 2015. Patient LOS, 30-day readmissions, frequency of pain assessments, patient-reported pain scores, and opioid administration were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 90 patients were included in the analysis (IV acetaminophen, n = 48; non-IV acetaminophen, n = 42). Patients who did not receive IV acetaminophen were more often older (48.8 ± 12.1 vs 39.3 ± 12.1 years; P = 0.012) and female (71.4% vs 47.9%; P < 0.001). The average LOS was similar between the 2 groups (median = 3.0; interquartile range = [3, 4] vs 3.5 [3, 4]; P = 0.737). The 30-day readmissions were higher in the IV acetaminophen group (16.7%) compared with the group not receiving IV acetaminophen (2.4%; P = 0.033). After the first postoperative day, the frequencies of pain assessments performed were similar among the 2 groups. There was no difference in average pain scores between the groups at any time after LLDN. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving IV acetaminophen were found to have no improvements in hospital LOS, average pain score, or opioid requirements compared with patients not receiving IV acetaminophen. Patients who received IV acetaminophen were also found to have a higher 30-day readmission rate.

Evaluation of Posttransplantation Diabetes Mellitus After Liver Transplantation: Assessment of Insulin Administration as a Risk Factor.

BACKGROUND: Impaired glucose regulation posttransplantation can affect allograft survival and may lead to the development of posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). OBJECTIVES: The primary purpose of this study is to assess the difference in insulin burden between liver transplant patients who develop PTDM and patients who do not. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study. Adult liver transplant recipients transplanted between January 1, 2005, and August 1, 2013, were included. PTDM was defined as: (1) use of an oral antihyperglycemic agent for ≥30 consecutive days after transplant, (2) use of insulin ≥30 consecutive days after transplant, or (3) hemoglobin A1C≥6.5 any time after transplant. RESULTS: Of the 114 patients included, 48 (42%) developed PTDM. The average 24-hour insulin requirement on the medical floors was 17.2 ± 14.5 units in the PTDM group and 11.3 ± 12.2 units in the PTDM-free group;P= 0.02. The average blood glucose level on the medical floor was 184.7 ± 31.5 mg/dL in the PTDM group and 169.3 ± 31.4 mg/dL in the PTDM-free group;P= 0.013. Multivariate analysis revealed that experiencing rejection was positively associated with the development of PTDM: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.237; 95% CI = 1.214-8.633. Basiliximab was negatively associated with the development of PTDM: AOR = 0.182; 95% CI = 0.040-0.836. CONCLUSION: Univariate analyses suggest that insulin burden is a positive risk factor for the development of PTDM; this association is lost in multivariate analyses. Rejection was a positive predictor, and use of basiliximab was a negative predictor for the development of PTDM.

The utility of recanalized umbilical vein graft to the hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon.

BACKGROUND: The authors recently published their experience of recanalizing umbilical veins in deceased liver donors, with recanalized umbilical veins as vascular conduits for meso-Rex bypass procedures. They have since found recanalized umbilical veins to be an excellent, easy to harvest vascular conduit that can be used for multiple vascular procedures and repair. Here, they report their experience using this vessel for bypass and vascular reconstruction. METHODS: They have recanalized umbilical veins and used them in a total of 5 Meso-Rex bypasses; 5 pancreaticoduodenectomies; 1 left hepatic trisegmentectomy with right portal vein (PV) resection and reconstruction; 1 right hepatectomy and 1 adrenalectomy, both with partial inferior vena cava (IVC) resection and reconstruction; 1 coronary-Rex bypass shunt for extrahepatic PV thrombosis; and 1 orthotopic liver transplantation with infrahepatic IVC anastomotic dehiscence patched with umbilical vein graft. Umbilical veins were dilated mechanically and used in situ for the meso-Rex bypass surgery; they were ligated in the space of Rex and then dilated ex vivo otherwise to be used as interposition grafts or a vein patch. RESULTS: A total of 15 hepato-pancreato-biliary procedures were done using the recanalized umbilical vein as graft; 2 patients required thrombectomy postoperatively with reexploration, venotomy, thrombectomy with fogarty catheter, and venotomy closure. CONCLUSION: The umbilical vein graft is a fine vascular conduit and can serve many purposes in hepatobiliary surgery.

Can we direct organ allocation based on predicted outcome? Hepatocellular carcinoma outside of UCSF criteria or retransplant?

BACKGROUND: In this study, we ask between patients with graft failure listed for retransplant and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) outside of UCSF criteria, who has the greater survival benefit with transplantation? METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis, of liver transplant (LT) patients, done between February 2002 and December 2009 at our center. Patients were included in the "extended HCC" group if their tumor was pathologically beyond UCSF criteria at LT and in the "redo" group if they underwent LT for graft failure occurring more than 3 months after the initial LT. Extended criteria donors (ECDs) were defined as donors above 70 years old, DCD, serology positive for HCV, and split grafts. RESULTS: There were 25 redos and 37 extended HCC patients. Use of ECDs or high donor risk index organs was associated with poor outcome in both groups (P = 0.005). Overall, the extended HCC population had a much better survival than redos, both at 1 and 3 years. CONCLUSION: These two very different but high risk patient populations have very different survival rates. At a time where regulatory agencies demand more and more with regards to transplant outcomes, we think the transplant community has to reflect on whether allocation justice and fair access to transplant are respected if we start allocating organs based on outcomes.

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis mimicking gallbladder cancer and causing obstructive cholestasis.

BACKGROUND: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is a destructive inflammatory disease of the gallbladder that can mimic gallbladder carcinoma. METHODS: We present the case of a 35-year-old Hispanic male complaining of right upper quadrant pain and jaundice for 2 months prior to admission. He denied a history of fever, nausea/vomiting, and weight loss. The past medical history was relevant only for diabetes. He had no previous history of jaundice or previous operations. RESULTS: CA19-9 was slightly elevated (52 U/mL). Abdominal ultrasonography showed an irregular thickening of the gallbladder wall and no gallstones were detected. CT scan also revealed an irregular thickening of the wall of the gallbladder body suggestive of malignancy. At laparotomy, the mass was adherent to the duodenum and colon, and although the frozen section biopsy was negative, the intraoperative findings were suggestive of malignancy, and the patient underwent left liver trisegmentectomy, resection of the common bile duct and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. Pathological examination unexpectedly revealed XGC without malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative and intraoperative differential diagnosis of XGC from gallbladder carcinoma remains a challenge when it is associated with inflammatory involvement of surrounding tissues. Since gallbladder carcinoma and XGC may coexist, radical resection is justified when malignancy cannot be completely ruled out.

Risk factors and prevention strategies for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in transplant recipients.

It has been well established that organ transplant recipients (OTRs) are at an increased risk of skin cancer. Studies vary on the exact degree of this risk, but it is likely somewhere between 60 and 100 times more likely that an OTR patient will develop skin cancer. The management of skin cancer burden in OTRs requires a multidisciplinary approach with the transplant team, dermatologists, and oncology. In many major hospital systems, there are dedicated transplant dermatology clinics that allow for specialized and more frequent screenings of this high-risk population. Here we discuss the pathogenesis, presentation, and treatment options used by dermatologists to prevent and treat commonly found skin cancers in this vulnerable population.

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes for Ethnic Minorities in the United States After Liver Transplantation: Parsing the Hispanic Paradox.

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionally affected by end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, disparities in referrals to liver transplantation (LT), organ allocation, and posttransplant outcomes exist in this population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients over the age of 18 years undergoing LT in the United States using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients from 2002 to 2016. We evaluated factors associated with patient and graft outcomes and explored the effect of race and ethnicity along with social variables. RESULTS: During the study time period, 78,999 patients received LT. Of these, 60,102 were non-Hispanic White (NHW), 7988 were African American (AA), and 10,909 were Hispanic. AA had significantly lower patient survival, graft survival, and death-censored graft survival at both 1 and 5 years when compared to NHW. Conversely, at 1 and 5 years, patient survival and graft survival were significantly higher for Hispanics compared to NWH. In addition, AA had significantly lower survival outcomes compared to Hispanics. On multivariate analysis after controlling for race/ethnicity, age, AA race, diagnosis, and deceased donor were independent risk factors for patient death and graft failure. CONCLUSIONS: Despite socioeconomic disadvantages seen among Hispanics, this population appears to have improved short- and long-term survival after LT compared to NHW and AA.

Liver grafts from selected older donors do not have significantly more ischaemia reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND: There is a general concern that aged organs are more susceptible to ischaemia. In the light of recent proposals to change the liver allocation system by expanding regional sharing, it is feared that increased cold ischaemia time of grafts from older donors may reduce graft survival. The aim of this study was to correlate donor age and the patterns of ischaemia reperfusion injury and synthetic function early after liver transplantation. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of first transplants using a single-centre electronic database. Patterns of liver injury (based on transaminases and post-reperfusion biopsy), synthetic function (international normalized ratio [INR]), and graft and patient survival in recipients receiving liver grafts from donors aged ≥ 65 years (group 1, n= 50) were compared with equivalent patterns in a matched cohort of recipients transplanted with grafts from donors aged <65 years (group 2, n= 50). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in transaminase levels from day 0 to day 6 after transplantation. When groups 1 and 2 were subdivided into two subgroups based on the duration of graft cold ischaemia time (<8 h and ≥ 8 h), there was no statistical difference in transaminase levels during the first 7 days. There were two cases (4%) of primary non-function in group 1 and one (2%) in group 2. Initial poor function did not differ significantly between the groups (26% vs. 24%; P= 0.81). In addition, there was no difference in histological changes in post-reperfusion biopsies (21% vs. 34%; P= 0.078) and rate of acute rejection episodes in the first year (30% vs. 32%; P= 0.99). There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in 1-year patient and graft survivals (78% vs. 90% [P= 0.17]; 88% vs. 94% [P= 0.48], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Judiciously selected livers from aged donors are not associated with major increased susceptibility to ischaemia reperfusion injury.

Donor-Recipient Matching to Optimize the Utility of High Kidney Donor Profile Index Kidneys.

BACKGROUND: In December 2014, the Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) was developed to give more precise information on donor kidney quality. Kidneys with KDPI scores ≥ 85 (K ≥ 85) have been reported to have inferior outcomes to kidneys with KDPI scores < 85. METHODS: After the implementation of the new Kidney Allocation System, we developed a protocol to evaluate K ≥ 85 use. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of our institutional criteria and evaluated post-transplant outcomes. K ≥ 85 recipients were stratified based on their 1-year creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rates to elucidate characteristics associated with serum creatinine < 1.7 mg/dL or estimated glomerular filtration rates ≤ 45 mL/min/1.73 m2. RESULTS: From December 2014 to December 2019, 304 deceased donor kidney transplants were performed at Hartford Hospital; 58 (19%) were K ≥ 85 with an average KDPI of 91%. There were 4 graft losses; 2 were death censored. Prolonged cold ischemia time and black recipient race were associated with inferior recipient graft function at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: High KDPI kidney use requires a multifaceted evaluation that takes into account donor and recipient characteristics for an ideal match. We have identified several characteristics that may predict optimal post-transplant kidney function.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Presenting Less Than 3 Weeks After Living Donor Kidney Transplant: A Case Report.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare malignancy with increased incidence in the kidney transplantation (KT) population for which immunosuppression has been implicated as a putative cause. The average time interval from KT to AML development is 5 years. We present the case of a 61-year-old man who was found to have peripheral blood blasts on a postoperative day 20 routine blood draw after an uneventful unrelated living donor kidney transplant. He subsequently had a bone marrow biopsy and next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based molecular testing, which demonstrated AML characterized by SMC1A and TET2 mutations. He received induction chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from the kidney donor, who happened to be matched at one haplotype. At 12 months after his HCT and 15 months after his KT, his AML remained in remission, normal renal function was preserved, no active graft-versus-host disease was present, and immunosuppression was tapering. With full donor-derived hematopoietic chimerism, we expect to be able to discontinue immunosuppression shortly, thereby achieving tolerance. The short time interval between KT and development of AML suggests the malignancy was likely present before KT. Modern NGS-based analysis offers a promising method of identifying transplant candidates with unexplained hematologic abnormalities on pre-KT testing who may benefit from formal hematologic evaluation.

A peer-based intervention to educate liver transplant candidates about living donor liver transplantation.

The number of liver donors has not measurably increased since 2004 and has begun to decrease. Although many waitlisted patients may be suitable candidates to receive a living donor graft, they are often reticent to discuss living donation with close friends and family, partly because of a lack of knowledge about donor health and quality of life outcomes after donation. The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of an educational intervention that uses testimonials and self-report data from living donors in New York State. The study had an independent sample pretest (n = 437) and posttest (n = 338) design with posttest, between-subjects comparison for intervention exposure. All waitlisted patients at 5 liver transplant centers in New York were provided a peer-based educational brochure and DVD either by mail or at the clinic. The outcome measures were liver candidates' knowledge and self-efficacy to discuss living donation with family and friends. The number and proportion of individuals who presented to centers for living liver donation evaluation were also measured. Liver transplant candidates' self-efficacy to discuss living donation and their knowledge increased from the pretest period to the posttest period. Those exposed to the peer-based intervention reported significantly greater knowledge, a greater likelihood of discussing donation, and increased self-efficacy in comparison with those not exposed to the intervention. The results did not differ by age, length of time on the waiting list, education, or ethnicity. In comparison with the preintervention period, living donation increased 42%, and the number of individuals who presented for donation evaluation increased by 74%.

Deceased donor kidney transplant complicated by spontaneous rupture of native kidney in a HIV patient.

Spontaneous native kidney rupture (SNKR) is a rare occurrence, commonly associated with underlying renal tumors or acquired renal cystic disease in both the kidney transplant (KT) and non-KT populations. Herein, we present a 65-year-old African American man who experienced a non-malignant SNKR 6 days after a deceased donor KT and underwent emergent native nephrectomy. The patient's hospital course was complicated by thrombocytopenia and refractory hypertension. He experienced delayed graft function and was maintained on hemodialysis until post-operative day 30. This case demonstrates an unusual presentation of SNKR in the immediate post-KT setting and illustrates the clinical decision-making algorithm.

Implementation of a Multimodal Pain Management Order Set Reduces Perioperative Opioid Use after Liver Transplantation.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Nonopioid strategies to optimize pain management in patients after liver transplantation remain underexplored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the use of a multimodal pain management (MPM) order set would reduce postoperative opioid use in adult patients after liver transplantation. DESIGN: Retrospective pre- and post-order set implementation study. SETTING: Large academic tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-one adults who underwent liver transplantation were included; of these, 18 received provider-managed pain regimens (pre-MPM group: August 20, 2016-January 17, 2018), and 13 received the MPM order set (post-MPM group: January 18-July 31, 2018) after implementation of the order set on January 18, 2018. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The MPM order set included standardized receipt of acetaminophen 650 mg every 6 hours, gabapentin 300 mg every 8 hours (adjusted for renal function), and opioids for breakthrough pain. Patients managed with the MPM order set received, on average, 30.6 fewer opioid morphine milligram equivalents per day after final extubation than patients who did not receive MPM (median 16, interquartile range [IQR] 4.5-45.6 vs median 46.6, IQR 30.1-75.2; Mann-Whitney U test, p=0.031). Although patients in the post-MPM group had significantly worse renal function at baseline, no other statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics, pain scores, or prescribed outpatient opioids were noted between groups. Patients in the pre-MPM group had a shorter intensive care unit and overall length of stay; however, patients in the post-MPM group may have had more complex postoperative courses contributing to these differences. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the MPM order set significantly reduced postoperative opioid use in liver transplant recipients. Our results provide a compelling rationale to further investigate the use of a non-opioid-centered strategy to optimize pain management in patients recovering from liver transplantation, a population vulnerable to the risks of opioid use such as opioid use disorder, increased susceptibility to adverse effects, and poor allograft and survival outcomes.

Surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma beyond Milan criteria. Results of liver resection, salvage transplantation, and primary liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: There is no clear consensus regarding the best treatment strategy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Patients with cirrhosis and HCC beyond Milan who had undergone liver resection (LR) or primary orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) between November 1995 and December 2005 were included in this study. Pathological tumor staging was based on the American Liver Tumor Study Group modified Tumor-Node-Metastasis classification. RESULTS: A total of 23 HCC patients were primarily treated by means of LR, 5 of whom eventually underwent salvage OLT. An additional 32 patients underwent primary OLT. The overall actuarial survival rates at 3 and 5 years were 35% after LR, and 69% and 60%, respectively, after primary OLT. Recurrence-free survival at 5 years was significantly higher after OLT (65%) than after LR (26%). Of the patients who underwent LR, 11 (48%) experienced HCC recurrence only in the liver; 6 of these 11 presented with advanced HCC recurrence, poor medical status, or short disease-free intervals and were not considered for transplantation. Salvage OLT was performed in 5 patients with early stage recurrence (45% of patients with hepatic recurrence after LR and 22% of all patients who underwent LR). At a median of 18 months after salvage OLT, all 5 patients are alive, 4 are free of disease, and 1 developed HCC recurrence 16 months after salvage OLT. CONCLUSION: For patients with HCC beyond Milan criteria, multimodality treatment-including LR, salvage OLT, and primary OLT-results in long-term survival in half of the patients. When indicated, LR can optimize the use of scarce donor organs by leaving OLT as a reserve option for early stage HCC recurrence.

Clostridium paraputrificum septicemia and liver abscess.

We report the first case of a healthy 23-year-old female who underwent an interventional radiology-guided embolization of a hepatic adenoma, which resulted in a gas forming hepatic liver abscess and septicemia by Clostridium paraputrificum. A retrospective review of Clostridial liver abscesses was performed using a PubMed literature search, and we found 57 clostridial hepatic abscess cases. The two most commonly reported clostridial species are C. perfringens and C. septicum (64.9% and 17.5% respectively). C. perfringens cases carried a mortality of 67.6% with median survival of 11 h, and 70.2% of the C. perfringens cases experienced hemolysis. All C. septicum cases were found to have underlying liver malignancy at the time of the presentation with a mortality of only 30%. The remaining cases were caused by various Clostridium species, and this cohort's clinical course was significantly milder when compared to the above C. perfringens and C. septicum cohorts.