Current Status of Laparoscopic Liver Resection: Experiences from Tertiary Center

Laparoscopic liver resection has been widely accepted nowadays for selective cases of liver diseases. Laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy and minor LLR are considered standard practice worldwide and cautious introduction of major laparoscopic liver resections like hemihepatectomies, central sectionectomy etc.. in institutions having experienced liver surgeons. Because of increasing young liver donor, laparoscopic donor hepatectomy is becoming popular, which gives better cosmetic outcomes. Many clinical trials compared laparoscopic liver resection safety, long term outcomes with open procedures. More recently, advances in laparoscopic instruments and techniques encouraged Korean surgeons to choose a laparoscopic procedure as one of the treatment options for benign or malignant diseases of liver.

Laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy

Shortage of deceased donor organs led to establishment of living donor liver transplantation. Recent reports have strongly suggested that laparoscopic approach should be the gold standard for lesions in the left lateral section. Laparoscopic living donor left lateral sectionectomy was first described in 2002. Subsequently, laparoscopic procurement of left lateral sections was shown to be safe and reproducible, resulting in grafts similar to those obtained with open surgery. In 2006, laparoscopy-assisted right lobe donor hepatectomy was reported. To date, however, only a small number of liver transplant centers have performed laparoscopic donor hepatectomy because the procedure can be performed only by surgical teams with extensive expertise in performing both minimally invasive surgery on the liver and liver transplantation with partial and living donor liver grafts. Herein, we describe the details of laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy including total laparoscopic surgery and laparoscopy-assisted surgery.

Technical refinement of the anterior sectional drainage in right liver transplantation: a single center experience

Much progress has been made during the last 15 years in the technical aspect of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Understanding of the detailed anatomy and performing precise donor hepatectomy have contributed to this progress. One of the most important points is to solve the problem of anterior congestion that occurs in right liver transplantation, and this can lead to graft dysfunction. This review focuses on the various types of donor right hepatectomy and venous reconstruction for drainage of the anterior section in the recipient. Technical refinement of the anterior sectional drainage in right liver transplantation is currently an issue that transplant surgeons would like to see resolved. In LDLT, donor safety overrides the benefit for the recipient. Technical innovations should be balanced with the basic principle of the transplant team, "no harm" to the live donors.

Factors Predicting Prolongation of the Prothrombin Time after Liver Donor Hepatectomy / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: The increasing shortage of liver donors has resulted in exponential growth of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). There are obvious concerns about the increased risk to the donors. There has been study on the impact of donation as a function of the degree of resection. However, the effect of inhaled anesthetics combined with the degree of parenchymal loss on the liver function has not been quantified. We analyzed the prothrombin time (PT), as hepatic synthetic function, after donor hepatectomy (DH) with the recipient undergoing general anesthesia with different types of inhaled anesthetics. METHODS: One-hundred thirty-four patients who underwent DH were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into four groups: enflurane (group E), isoflurane (group I), sevoflurane (group S), and desflurane (group D). Anesthesia was performed according to institutional standards. The PT was measured for 7 days before and daily after DH (POD). Total liver volume and resected liver volume were measured and fraction of the graft volume was calculated. RESULTS: The PT peaked on POD 1 in all groups. A significantly lower PT was observed in group D compared to the other groups until POD 3. The fraction of the graft volume showed significant correlation with the PT change. PT abnormalities were affected by the preoperative PT, the graft fraction and inhaled anesthetics. CONCLUSIONS: Desflurane induced lesser elevation of the PT than did the other inhaled anesthetics until POD 3. The preoperative PT, the graft fraction and the inhaled anesthetics may be key factors for inducing postoperative PT abnormalities.

Technical Evolution in Living Donor Liver Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

During the last 15 years, much progress has been made in the technical aspect of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). In fact, LDLT has contributed to understanding of the detailed anatomy of the liver and performing more precise hepatectomy. Recently, more complex cases which were relative contraindications for liver transplantation such as Budd-Chiari syndrome and portal vein thrombosis have been challenged in LDLT area. This review focuses on donor hepatectomy and hanging maneuver in the donor, and hilar dissection and venous reconstruction in the recipient. In addition, recent technical advances in complex cases were also introduced. Biliary complication has been the most common, intractable complication to disturb the quality of life of the long-term survivors. Reduction of its complication rate is a pending question of the transplant surgeon. In LDLT, donor safety is paramount. Technical innovations should be balanced with any unexpected harm to the donors.