Machine learning approach to predict postpancreatectomy hemorrhage following pancreaticoduodenectomy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Postpancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH) is a rare yet dreaded complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This retrospective study aimed to explore a machine learning (ML) model for predicting PPH in PD patients. METHODS: A total of 284 patients who underwent open PD at our institute were included in the analysis. To address the issue of imbalanced data, the adaptive synthetic sampling (ADASYN) technique was employed. The best-performing ML model was selected using the PyCaret library in Python and evaluated based on recall, precision, and F1 score metrics. In addition to assessing the model's performance on the test data, bootstrap validation (n = 1000) with the original dataset was conducted. RESULTS: PPH occurred in 11 patients (3.9%), with a median onset time of 22 days postoperatively. These minority cases were oversampled to 85 using ADASYN. The extra trees classifier demonstrated superior performance with recall, precision, and F1 score of 0.967, 0.914, and 0.937, respectively. Both validation using the test data and bootstrap resampling consistently demonstrated recall, precision, and F1 score exceeding 0.9. The model identified the peak value of C-reactive protein during the first 7 postoperative days as the most significant feature, followed by the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the potential of the ML approach to predict PPH occurrence following PD. Vigilance and early interventions guided by such model predictions could positively impact outcomes for high-risk patients.

High hand grip strength is a significant risk factor and a useful predictor of postoperative pancreatic fistula following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most critical complications of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Studies on predictive factors for POPF that can be identified preoperatively are limited. Recent reports have highlighted the association between the preoperative nutritional status, including sarcopenia, and postoperative complications. We examined preoperative risk factors for POPF after PD, focusing on nutritional indicators. METHODS: A total of 153 consecutive patients who underwent PD at our institution were enrolled in this study. Preoperative nutritional parameters, including hand grip strength (HGS) and skeletal muscle mass as components of sarcopenia, were incorporated into the analysis. POPFs were categorized according to the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF) definition as biochemical (grade A) or clinically relevant (CR-POPF; grades B and C). RESULTS: Thirty-seven of the 153 patients (24.1%) fulfilled the ISGPF definition of CR-POPF postoperatively. In the univariate analysis, the incidence of CR-POPF was associated with male sex, non-pancreatic tumor diseases, a high body mass index, a high HGS and a high skeletal muscle mass index. In the multivariate analysis, non-pancreatic tumor diseases and an HGS ≥23.0 kg were selected as independent risk factors for CR-POPF (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A high HGS, a screening tool for sarcopenia, was a risk factor for CR-POPF. It can accurately serve as a useful predictor of POPF risk in patients undergoing PD. These results highlight the potential of sarcopenia to reduce the incidence of POPF and highlight the need to clarify the mechanism of POPF occurrence.

Efficacy and perioperative safety of different future liver remnant modulation techniques: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In daily clinical practice, different future liver remnant (FLR) modulation techniques are increasingly used to allow a liver resection in patients with insufficient FLR volume. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and perioperative safety of portal vein ligation (PVL), portal vein embolization (PVE), liver venous deprivation (LVD) and associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS). METHODS: A literature search for studies comparing liver resections following different FLR modulation techniques was performed in MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central, and pairwise and network meta-analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Overall, 23 studies comprising 1557 patients were included. LVD achieved the greatest increase in FLR (17.32 %, 95% CI 2.49-32.15), while ALPPS was most effective in preventing dropout before the completion hepatectomy (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.15-0.55). PVL tended to be associated with a longer time to completion hepatectomy (MD 5.78 days, 95% CI -0.67-12.23). Liver failure occurred less frequently after LVD, compared to PVE (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.87) and ALPPS (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.09-0.85). DISCUSSION: ALPPS and LVD seem superior to PVE and PVL in terms of achieved FLR increase and subsequent treatment completion. LVD was associated with lower rates of post hepatectomy liver failure, compared to both PVE and ALPPS. A summary of the protocol has been prospectively registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022321474).

Robot-assisted versus laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis including patient subgroups.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy (RDP) has been suggested to hold some benefits over laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) but consensus and data on specific subgroups are lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis reports the surgical and oncological outcome and costs between RDP and LDP including subgroups with intended spleen preservation and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: Studies comparing RDP and LDP were included from PubMed, Cochrane Central Register, and Embase (inception-July 2022). Primary outcomes were conversion and unplanned splenectomy. Secondary outcomes were R0 resection, lymph node yield, major morbidity, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, in-hospital mortality, operative costs, total costs and hospital stay. RESULTS: Overall, 43 studies with 6757 patients were included, 2514 after RDP and 4243 after LDP. RDP was associated with a longer operative time (MD = 18.21, 95% CI 2.18-34.24), less blood loss (MD = 54.50, 95% CI ï»¿- 84.49-24.50), and a lower conversion rate (OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.36-0.55) compared to LDP. In spleen-preserving procedures, RDP was associated with more Kimura procedures (OR = 2.23, 95% CI 1.37-3.64) and a lower rate of unplanned splenectomies (OR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.24-0.42). In patients with PDAC, RDP was associated with a higher lymph node yield (MD = 3.95, 95% CI ï»¿1.67-6.23), but showed no difference in the rate of R0 resection (OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.67-1.37). RDP was associated with higher total (MD = 3009.31, 95% CI ï»¿1776.37-4242.24) and operative costs (MD = 3390.40, 95% CI ï»¿1981.79-4799.00). CONCLUSIONS: RDP was associated with a lower conversion rate, a higher spleen preservation rate and, in patients with PDAC, a higher lymph node yield and similar R0 resection rate, as compared to LDP. The potential benefits of RDP need to be weighed against the higher total and operative costs in future randomized trials.

The clinical implication of minimally invasive versus open pancreatoduodenectomy for non-pancreatic periampullary cancer: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most studies on minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy (MIPD) combine patients with pancreatic and periampullary cancers even though there is substantial heterogeneity between these tumors. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the role of MIPD compared to open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD) in patients with non-pancreatic periampullary cancer (NPPC). METHODS: A systematic review of Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases was performed by two independent reviewers to identify studies comparing MIPD and OPD for NPPC (ampullary, distal cholangio, and duodenal adenocarcinoma) (01/2015-12/2021). Individual patient data were required from all identified studies. Primary outcomes were (90-day) mortality, and major morbidity (Clavien-Dindo 3a-5). Secondary outcomes were postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), delayed gastric emptying (DGE), postpancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH), blood-loss, length of hospital stay (LOS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Overall, 16 studies with 1949 patients were included, combining 928 patients with ampullary, 526 with distal cholangio, and 461 with duodenal cancer. In total, 902 (46.3%) patients underwent MIPD, and 1047 (53.7%) patients underwent OPD. The rates of 90-day mortality, major morbidity, POPF, DGE, PPH, blood-loss, and length of hospital stay did not differ between MIPD and OPD. Operation time was 67 min longer in the MIPD group (P = 0.009). A decrease in DFS for ampullary (HR 2.27, P = 0.019) and distal cholangio (HR 1.84, P = 0.025) cancer, as well as a decrease in OS for distal cholangio (HR 1.71, P = 0.045) and duodenal cancer (HR 4.59, P < 0.001) was found in the MIPD group. CONCLUSIONS: This individual patient data meta-analysis of MIPD versus OPD in patients with NPPC suggests that MIPD is not inferior in terms of short-term morbidity and mortality. Several major limitations in long-term data highlight a research gap that should be studied in prospective maintained international registries or randomized studies for ampullary, distal cholangio, and duodenum cancer separately. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42021277495) on the 25th of October 2021.

Impact of enhanced recovery protocols after pancreatoduodenectomy: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This individual-patient data meta-analysis investigated the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols compared with conventional care on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched systematically for articles reporting outcomes of ERAS after pancreatoduodenectomy published up to August 2020. Comparative studies were included. Main outcomes were postoperative functional recovery elements, postoperative morbidity, duration of hospital stay, and readmission. RESULTS: Individual-patient data were obtained from 17 of 31 eligible studies comprising 3108 patients. Time to liquid (mean difference (MD) -3.23 (95 per cent c.i. -4.62 to -1.85) days; P < 0.001) and solid (-3.84 (-5.09 to -2.60) days; P < 0.001) intake, time to passage of first stool (MD -1.38 (-1.82 to -0.94) days; P < 0.001) and time to removal of the nasogastric tube (3.03 (-4.87 to -1.18) days; P = 0.001) were reduced with ERAS. ERAS was associated with lower overall morbidity (risk difference (RD) -0.04, 95 per cent c.i. -0.08 to -0.01; P = 0.015), less delayed gastric emptying (RD -0.11, -0.22 to -0.01; P = 0.039) and a shorter duration of hospital stay (MD -2.33 (-2.98 to -1.69) days; P < 0.001) without a higher readmission rate. CONCLUSION: ERAS improved postoperative outcome after pancreatoduodenectomy. Implementation should be encouraged.

Enhanced recovery protocols consist of interdisciplinary interventions aimed at standardizing care and reducing the impact of surgical stress. They often include a short period of preoperative fasting during the night before surgery, early removal of lines and surgical drains, early food intake and mobilization out of bed on the day of surgery. This study gives a summary of reports assessing such care protocols in patients undergoing pancreatic head surgery, and assesses the impact of these protocols on functional recovery in an analysis of individual-patient data. The study revealed the true benefits of enhanced recovery protocols, including shorter time to food intake, earlier bowel activity, fewer complications after surgery, and a shorter hospital stay compared with conventional care.

[Two Cases of Elderly Patients with Giant Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Treated with Multidisciplinary Therapy including Ablation Therapy].

Case 1 consisted of an 86-year-old male diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC), approximately 11 cm in diameter, at segment S7/8 of the liver. A total of 4 percutaneous radiofrequency ablations(PRFA)and 3 hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapies(HAIC)of 5-FU were performed. He died after developing lung metastases 27 months after the initial treatment. Case 2 was an 85-year-old female diagnosed with ICC, 8 cm in diameter, at the posterior segment of the liver, with lymph node metastasis. She underwent HAIC of 5-FU and S-1 as well as gemcitabine-based systemic chemotherapy. The main tumor developed 10 months after the initial treatment, and PRFAs were subsequently performed twice for the main lesion. Although the tumor markers gradually decreased, she died of jaundice 33 months after the initial treatment. As one of the multidisciplinary therapies for the giant ICC, ablation therapy may be safe and effective in elderly patients.

[Clinical Study of Peritoneovenous Shunt for Patients with Refractory Ascites Accompanied with Hepatocellular Carcinoma].

BACKGROUND: Hepatic ascites may cause a variety of symptoms and may progress deterioration of quality of life. Peritoneovenous shunt(PV shunt)is technically feasible and useful for the treating of refractory ascites, but sometimes it can be associated with fatal complications. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the effect of PV shunt for patients with refractory ascites, including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients. SUBJECTS: Between January 2010 and December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed 54 consecutive patients(including 35 HCC patients)with refractory ascites who underwent PV shunt at our institute. RESULTS: Body weight loss after surgery was observed in 39 of the 54 cases, and eGFR improved in 34 cases. There were 17(31.5%)in-hospital deaths. Cases with present of portal vein tumor thrombus, Child-Pugh classification C, ALBI score≥-1.12, or serum total bilirubin≥1.7 mg/dL were significantly higher in hospital-death group than in the discharged from the hospital group. CONCLUSIONS: PV shunt for HCC patients with refractory ascites may be effective for improvement of renal function and symptoms. However, indications for PV shunt should be carefully considered for high-risk patients with adequate preoperative evaluation.

[A Case of Long-Term Survival with S-1/Cisplatin for Liver Hilum Lymph Node Metastasis of Anal Canal Squamous Cell Carcinoma after Chemoradiotherapy].

A 70-year-old woman was admitted to a local hospital because of anal pain during defecation. Anoscopy revealed an anal mass lesion, and the patient was referred to our hospital. Colonoscopy revealed an anal canal tumor with ulceration, and biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was treated with chemoradiotherapy(chemotherapy with capecitabine plus mitomycin C and 54 Gy radiation in the anal region)and achieved complete response. However, metastatic recurrence was detected in a lymph node in the hepatic hilar region. We administered an S-1/CDDP combination chemotherapy (5 courses). For 3 years and 5 months since the initial treatment, the patient survived with no signs of recurrence. We report a rare case of long-term survival with S-1/CDDP for distant metastasis of anal canal squamous cell carcinoma after chemoradiotherapy.

[Clinical Efficacy of Recombinant Human Thrombomodulin for Surgical Patients with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Associated with Oncologic Emergency].

AIM: We evaluated the clinical efficacy of recombinant human thrombomodulin(rTM)for surgical patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome(DIC)associated with an oncologic emergency(OE). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients who underwent surgery for OE complicated with DIC and were treated with rTM in our institution were evaluated. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical changes of parameters in white blood cell count(WBC), platelet count, CRP, PT-INR and DIC scores after the rTM treatment. RESULTS: The average length of the days using rTM was 4.7 for 12 patients, excluding one who died within 30 days after surgery. Nine of 12 patients(75%)had DIC scores of less than 3 after the rTM treatment. WBC tended to decrease after the rTM treatment, without statistical difference. However, CRP, platelet count, PT-INR and DIC scores were significantly improved after the rTM treatment(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: rTM may be useful in the treatment of DIC for surgical OE patients.

[A Rapid Clinical Course of Pulmonary Embolism Associated with Gallbladder Mucinous Carcinoma].

A 51-year-old woman with edema of the lower extremities and exertional dyspnea was admitted to our hospital. Enhanced CT revealed thrombi of the pulmonary artery and a gallbladder tumor. After anticoagulation therapy was started on her, anemia and jaundice progressed; thus, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)was performed on suspicion of bleeding from a gallbladder tumor. We performed cholecystectomy in emergency to control the anemia due to hemorrhage. Oxygenation suddenly worsened intraoperatively, maintaining her blood pressure became difficult, and the patient decompensated. The histopathological diagnosis was gallbladder mucinous carcinoma with severe lymphatic invasion. Although an autopsy was not performed, pulmonary artery embolism derived from a tumor embolus was the suspected cause of the sudden change of the clinical course.

[Hepatectomy for Intrahepatic Combined Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence in a Hemophilia a Patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus-A Case Report].

A 40's Japanese man had a history of blood transfusion and administration of treatment coagulation factors for hemophilia A since he was 6 years old. He has been on IFN treatment for hepatitis C since he was 14 years old. Lastly, he has been undergoing HAART therapy for human immunodeficiency virus infection since he was 18 years old. Three years ago, he underwent partial hepatectomy for a tumor located in segment 8 of his liver and was diagnosed with combined hepatocellular carcinoma(CHC). Two years and 7 months after the operation, 2 intrahepatic recurrences were detected in the left lobe. He was referred to our hospital to undergo curative resection, and we performed a left lobectomy of the liver for the CHC recurrences. Perioperatively, supplemental factor Ⅷ was administered via APTT. Its activity was used as an index. Postoperatively, the patient was well, was discharged 13 days after surgery, and remained recurrence-free for 4 months.

[A Resected Case of Metachronous Solitary Metastasis of Jejunum after Surgery of Triple Colon Cancers].

A 68-year-old man underwent partial colectomy and double-barrel colostomy for an obstructive colon cancer of the splenic flexure at another hospital 10 years before. He was referred to us with an examination of anemia pointed out in human dock. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed the tumor occupied the remnant descending colon. We performed remnant left hemicolectomy and diagnosed as triple colon cancers. Six months after the initial operation, he was admitted to us with the chief complaints of abdominal fulness and vomit. Abdominal CT and radiologic enteroclysis after decompression used the ileus tube revealed complete stenosis at the small intestine. We performed surgery with a suspicion of obstruction of the small intestine. The tumor, 5 cm in diameter, occupied the jejunum was detected, and partial resection of the jejunum was performed. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as solitary metastasis of jejunum.

Usability of Intraoperative Fluorescence Imaging with Indocyanine Green During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy After Percutaneous Transhepatic Gallbladder Drainage.

BACKGROUND: Patients with persistent symptoms of acute cholecystitis for >72 h who cannot undergo urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) often undergo percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) and delayed LC. However, intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence with indocyanine green (ICG) has recently become available in various surgical settings. Therefore, we evaluated the usability of intraoperative fluorescence imaging with ICG for LC after PTGBD in patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: The preoperative and postoperative clinical characteristics of patients who underwent LC after PTGBD were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 130 patients were reviewed. Intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging was used in 39 (30.0%) patients, and none developed adverse reactions. Patients with ICG fluorescence imaging had a significantly shorter operative time (129 ± 46 vs. 150 ± 56 min, p = 0.0455), markedly lower conversion rate (2.6% vs. 22.0%, p = 0.0017), and lower proportion of subtotal cholecystectomy (0.0% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.0359) than patients without ICG fluorescence imaging. Independent risk factors for conversion to laparotomy during LC after PTGBD were the performance of PTGBD after 48 h from onset (OR 3.52; 95% CI 1.11-12.21; p = 0.0322), an unremoved PTGBD tube on LC (4.48, 1.46-15.00, p = 0.0084), and surgery without ICG (8.00, 1.28-159.47, p = 0.0231). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging produced better surgical outcomes without any adverse reactions. Early performance of PTGBD and intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging can reduce the surgical difficulties in LC after PTGBD for acute cholecystitis.

Laparoscopic Versus Open Approach for Formal Right and Left Hepatectomy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic liver surgery is expanding worldwide, but further evidence is needed to assess safety and efficacy of laparoscopic major hepatectomy. The study analyzes perioperative outcomes of pure laparoscopic versus open major hepatectomies matched by the propensity score method. METHODS: From 2005 to 2017, 268 major hepatectomies were performed of which 73 were laparoscopic. After a 1:1 propensity score matching, 59 laparoscopic right and left hepatectomies were compared to 59 open. The matching was based on age, gender, year of procedure, BMI, ASA score, underlying liver disease, previous abdominal surgery, type of hepatectomy, preoperative chemotherapy, number, dimension and nature of lesions. An intention-to-treat analysis and a per-protocol analysis were carried out. RESULTS: Mean surgical time was 315 min in the laparoscopic group and 292.5 min in the open group (p = 0.039); conversion rate in laparoscopy was 20.3%; blood loss was 480 ml (50-3000) versus 550 ml (50-2600), respectively, for laparoscopic and open (p = 0.577). Lengths of postoperative analgesia and hospital stay were shorter in the laparoscopic group (p = 0.0001 and 0.024, respectively). Postoperative complications occurred in 11.9% of laparoscopic cases and in 25.4% of open cases (p = 0.098). Median Comprehensive Complication Index was 26.2 (8.7-54.2) in the open group versus 20.9 (8.7-66.2) in open (p = 0.368). Per-protocol analysis showed a better trend in favor of laparoscopy concerning surgical time. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic major hepatectomies are safe and feasible procedures allowing a similar complication rate with a shorter hospital stay and diminished postoperative pain with respect to the standard approach.

The inflammatory response to stress and angiogenesis in liver resection for colorectal liver metastases: a randomized controlled trial comparing open versus laparoscopic approach.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the surgical stress response following laparoscopic and open liver resection for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). METHODS: Patients with CRLM were prospectively randomized to receive open or laparoscopic liver resection (NCT03131778). Blood samples were drawn preoperatively and 24 h after resection. The serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 levels were measured. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of angiogenesis-related factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and HIF-1) and inflammation-related factors (COX-2 and MMP-9) in both tumor tissue and normal liver parenchyma were detected. RESULTS: Twenty patients for each arm were included. Size of metastasis, type of resection, and neoadjuvant therapy were comparable between groups. Postoperative stay was shorter in the laparoscopic group. Higher levels of IL-6 were observed after the operation in both open and laparoscopic groups, although no differences in the post-operative levels between the groups was noted. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the mRNA expression of VEGF, HIF-1, MMP-9, and COX-2 between the treatment groups. No differences were observed in terms of overall survival and disease free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The immunological effects of treatment were similar between the groups. Thus, the laparoscopic approach does not seem to significantly influence the surgical stress and tumor related factors in patients suffering from colorectal liver metastases.

Long-term Outcomes of Hepatic Resection Combined With Intraoperative Ablation Versus Hepatic Resection Alone for Multinodular Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Insights from a Single-center Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The efficacy of combining hepatic resection (HR) with ablation therapy in treating multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma (mHCC) remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the long-term survival outcomes of patients with mHCC undergoing HR combined with intraoperative ablation (HRA) versus those undergoing HR alone. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 296 patients diagnosed with early-stage [Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)-A] or intermediate-stage (BCLC-B) mHCC who underwent initial HR. Patients were divided into two groups: those who received HRA (HRA group, n=159) and those who underwent HR alone (HR group, n=137). Propensity score (PS), estimated as the likelihood of undergoing HRA, was applied to adjust for between-group differences in baseline characteristics. Overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were compared using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in survival between the HRA and HR groups, with 5-year OS and RFS rates of 47.7% versus 51.9% (p=0.837) and 17.0% versus 25.9% (p=0.094), respectively. After adjusting for PS, the differences remained non-significant (p=0.579 for OS and p=0.410 for RFS). Consistent results were also observed in PS-adjusted subgroup analysis stratified by factors such as BCLC stage, "Up-to-7" criteria, and Child-Pugh class. CONCLUSION: HRA may offer comparable long-term efficacy to HR alone in mHCC, suggesting broader treatment options that challenge the guideline-based monotherapy.

Perioperative Fluid Balance and the Risk of Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Propensity Score-adjusted Analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The impact of perioperative fluid management on postoperative morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the independent association between perioperative fluid balance (FB) and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) in PD patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 243 consecutive open PD patients were included. Intra- and postoperative FB until postoperative day 3 were calculated, and their predictive performance for POPF was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Propensity score (PS) was estimated as the probability of having higher FB, and factors associated with POPF were identified using crude and PS-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: POPF occurred in 60 patients (24.7%). ROC analysis showed the highest predictive value for total FB on postoperative days 1 and 2, with a cut-off value of 1,585 ml (area under the ROC curve=0.74). Patients with FB ≥1,585 ml had a significantly higher POPF rate (48.3%) compared to those with lower FB (11.0%, PS-adjusted p<0.001). Male sex, body mass index ≥25 kg/m2, non-pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, biliary drainage, main pancreatic duct diameter <3 mm, and higher FB showed significant associations with POPF in crude univariate analysis. Higher FB remained a significant factor in both crude multivariate and PS-adjusted analysis [crude multivariate: odds ratio (OR)=8.0; PS-adjusted univariate: OR=4.2; PS-adjusted multivariate: OR=6.1, all p<0.001]. CONCLUSION: Higher early postoperative FB, a potentially modifiable factor, may be independently associated with increased risk of POPF in PD patients.

Laparoscopic Projection Mapping of the Liver Portal Segment, Based on Augmented Reality Combined With Artificial Intelligence, for Laparoscopic Anatomical Liver Resection.

Hepatocellular carcinoma causes intrahepatic metastasis via the trans-portal vein. Thus, appropriate mapping of portal segments is necessary for laparoscopic anatomical liver resection. However, because of the difficulty in identifying tactile sensations and the limited surgical view of laparoscopy, augmented reality (AR) has recently been utilized in laparoscopic liver surgery to identify the tumor, vessels, and portal segments. Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) has been employed to identify landmarks in two-dimensional (2D) images because of concerns regarding the accuracy of superimposing a three-dimensional (3D) model onto a 2D laparoscopic image. In this study, we report an AR-based projection mapping method of portal segments superimposing preoperative 3D models assisted by AI in laparoscopic surgery. The liver silhouette in laparoscopic images should be detected to superimpose 3D models. Labeled liver silhouettes were obtained from 380 images in surgical videos as learning images to implement AI-based silhouette detection. To implement this technique, we used Detectron2, a PyTorch-based object detection library by Facebook AI Research (Now, Meta AI, Menlo Park, California, United States). In the videos, the liver edges were displayed as green outlines according to AI. Additionally, 3D liver models with segmental mapping were generated using the open-source software 3D Slicer from computed tomography images. For AR display, we utilized the model target function of Vuforia SDK (PTC, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States), an industrial AR library with silhouette-based AR display. Lastly, we merged the AI output video with a 3D model in Unity (Unity Software Inc., San Francisco, California, United States) to establish the projection mapping of the portal segment on 2D surgical images. The accuracy was assessed by measuring the maximum error between the liver edges of laparoscopic images and 3D liver silhouettes in five surgical videos. The maximum error between liver edges and 3D model silhouettes ranged from 4 mm to 22 mm in the AI-based approach and 12 mm to 55 mm in the non-AI-based approach. Meanwhile, the mean error was 14.5 and 31.2 mm in the AI-based and non-AI-based approaches, respectively. Despite camera movement, 3D AR displays were maintained. Thus, our AI-assisted projection mapping of the portal segment could offer a new approach for laparoscopic anatomical liver resection.