Transition from open to laparoscopic ALPPS for patients with very small FLR: the initial experience.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic ALPPS (Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation for Staged hepatectomy) has previously been reported but has been the authors' default option since 2015 in patients with small future liver remnant. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients undergoing ALPPS at a single referral center was performed using a prospective database from July 2011 to June 2016. Feasibility was studied by assessing conversions. The 90-day mortality and complications were analyzed using a Dindo-Clavien score and the comprehensive complication index. Operative time, blood loss, volumetric growth, and hospital stay were examined. The CUSUM analysis was performed. RESULTS: ALPPS was performed in 30 patients, 10 of whom underwent a laparoscopic approach. There was no mortality and no complication grade ≥3A observed in laparoscopic ALPPS. In open ALPPS, 10 of 20 patients experienced complications grade ≥3A (p = 0.006) and one patient died. Liver failure was not observed after laparoscopic ALPPS, but two patients in the open ALPPS group developed complications that precluded the second stage. The total hospital stay was shorter in the laparoscopic ALPPS group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic ALPPS is feasible as the default procedure for patients with very small FLR, and it is not inferior to the open approach. Surgeons experienced with complex laparoscopy should be encouraged to use a laparoscopic approach to ALPPS.

A novel technique for hepatic vein reconstruction during hepatectomy.

Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for malignant liver tumours. Nevertheless, surgical approach to tumours located close to the confluence of the hepatic veins is a challenging issue. Trisectionectomies are considered the first curative option for treatment of these tumours. However, those procedures are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates primarily due to post-operative liver failure. Thus, maximal preservation of functional liver parenchyma should always be attempted. We describe the isolated resection of Segment 8 for the treatment of a tumour involving the right hepatic vein and in contact with the middle hepatic vein and retrohepatic vena cava with immediate reconstruction of the right hepatic vein with a vascular graft. This is the first time this type of reconstruction was performed, and it allowed to preserve all but one of the hepatic segments with normal venous outflow. This innovative technique is a fast and safe method to reconstruct hepatic veins.

Enucleation of liver tumors: you do not have to feel blue about it.

Enucleation of hepatic tumors is a low-morbidity technique with adequate oncological results that is useful in many clinical settings. Compared with anatomical liver resections, it offers the advantage of maximal hepatic parenchymal preservation. However, some technical adversities may occur during the enucleation of liver tumors, such as difficulty in finding the lesions by intraoperative ultrasonography after hepatic transection or further visually spotting the tumor within the parenchyma if a first specimen is retracted not containing the lesion. We describe an innovative technique that overcomes these possible adversities and makes the enucleation of liver tumors easier and more precise.

Innovative technique for gastric retraction during laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy: the marionette.

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies became more common in the past few years as a safe and effective treatment option for benign and low-grade malignant tumors of the body and tail of the pancreas. Adequate exposure and wide operative field are crucial to perform this procedure, and this is achieved by retraction of the stomach with an angled liver retractor or a grasper through a subxiphoid trocar, that is usually used only to this purpose. We developed an innovative technique to retract the stomach during laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies that provides excellent operative field and frees the subxiphoid trocar to be used in other tasks during the surgery.

Robotic resection of intraductal neoplasm of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive techniques have been revolutionary and provide clinical evidence of decreased morbidity and comparable efficacy to traditional open surgery. Computer-assisted surgical devices have recently been approved for general surgical use. AIM: The aim of this study was to report the first known case of pancreatic resection with the use of a computer-assisted, or robotic, surgical device in Latin America. PATIENT AND METHODS: A 37-year-old female with a previous history of radical mastectomy for bilateral breast cancer due to a BRCA2 mutation presented with an acute pancreatitis episode. Radiologic investigation disclosed an intraductal pancreatic neoplasm located in the neck of the pancreas with atrophy of the body and tail. The main pancreatic duct was enlarged. The surgical decision was to perform a laparoscopic subtotal pancreatectomy, using the da Vinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). Five trocars were used. Pancreatic transection was achieved with vascular endoscopic stapler. The surgical specimen was removed without an additional incision. RESULTS: Operative time was 240 minutes. Blood loss was minimal, and the patient did not receive a transfusion. The recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 4. CONCLUSIONS: The subtotal laparoscopic pancreatic resection can safely be performed. The da Vinci robotic system allowed for technical refinements of laparoscopic pancreatic resection. Robotic assistance improved the dissection and control of major blood vessels due to three-dimensional visualization of the operative field and instruments with wrist-type end-effectors.