Liver transplantation and hepatocellular carcinoma: is TIPS deleterious? A multicentric retrospective study of the ARCHET research group with propensity score matching.

PURPOSE: A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) before the liver transplantation (LT) has been considered a contraindication in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because of the risk of tumour growth. We aimed to assess the impact of TIPS on incidental HCC and oncological outcomes in transplanted patients with pre-existing HCC. METHODS: All consecutive transplanted patients for cirrhosis who had a previous TIPS with or without HCC were included. Between 2007 and 2014, 1912 patients were transplanted. We included 122 (6.3%) patients having TIPS before LT. A 1:3 matched cohort of 366 patients (18.9%) having LT without previous TIPS was selected using a propensity score. Incidental HCC rate and risk factor of HCC recurrence were evaluated using multivariate analysis with a competing risk model. RESULTS: Before LT, in the TIPS group, 27 (22.1%) had an HCC vs. 81 (22.1%) in the control group (p = 1). The incidental HCC rate was similar: 10.5% (10/95) in the TIPS group vs. 6.3% (18/285) in the control group (p = 0.17). Recurrence occurred in 1/27 (3.7%) patient in the TIPS group and in 7/81 (8.6%) patients in the control group, without significant difference (p = 0.51). After multivariate regression, patient's gender (p < 0.01) was significantly associated with HCC recurrence while a tumour within Milan criteria (p = 0.01, sHR: 0.17 [0.04; 0.7]) and an incidental HCC (p<0.01) were found to be protector factors against HCC recurrence. CONCLUSION: TIPS did not worsen the prognosis of transplanted patients for HCC. TIPS should no longer be contraindicated for oncological reasons in patients with HCC waiting for an LT.

Predicting Intraoperative Difficulty of Open Liver Resections: The DIFF-scOR Study, An Analysis of 1393 Consecutive Hepatectomies From a French Multicenter Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to build a predictive model of operative difficulty in open liver resections (LRs). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Recent attempts at classifying open-LR have been focused on postoperative outcomes and were based on predefined anatomical schemes without taking into account other anatomical/technical factors. METHODS: Four intraoperative variables were perceived by the authors as to reflect operative difficulty: operation and transection times, blood loss, and number of Pringle maneuvers. A hierarchical ascendant classification (HAC) was used to identify homogeneous groups of operative difficulty, based on these variables. Predefined technical/anatomical factors were then selected to build a multivariable logistic regression model (DIFF-scOR), to predict the probability of pertaining to the highest difficulty group. Its discrimination/calibration was assessed. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. RESULTS: HAC identified 2 clusters of operative difficulty. In the "Difficult LR" group (20.8% of the procedures), operation time (401 min vs 243 min), transection time (150 vs.63 minute), blood loss (900 vs 400 mL), and number of Pringle maneuvers (3 vs 1) were higher than in the "Standard LR" group. Determinants of operative difficulty were body weight, number and size of nodules, biliary drainage, anatomical or combined LR, transection planes between segments 2 and 4, 4, and 8 or 7 and 8, nonanatomical resections in segments 2, 7, or 8, caval resection, bilioentric anastomosis and number of specimens. The c-statistic of the DIFF-scOR was 0.822. By contrast, the discrimination of the DIFF-scOR to predict 90-day mortality and severe morbidity was poor (c-statistic: 0.616 and 0.634, respectively). CONCLUSION: The DIFF-scOR accurately predicts open-LR difficulty and may be used for various purposes in clinical practice and research.

The white test for intraoperative screening of bile leakage: a potential trigger factor for acute pancreatitis after liver resection-a case series.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis after liver resection is a rare but serious complication, and few cases have been described in the literature. Extended lymphadenectomy, and long ischemia due to the Pringle maneuver could be responsible of post-liver resection acute pancreatitis, but the exact causes of AP after hepatectomy remain unclear. CASES PRESENTATION: We report here three cases of AP after hepatectomy and we strongly hypothesize that this is due to the bile leakage white test. 502 hepatectomy were performed at our center and 3 patients (0.6%) experienced acute pancreatitis after LR and all of these three patients underwent the white test at the end of the liver resection. None underwent additionally lymphadenectomy to the liver resection. All patient had a white-test during the liver surgery. We identified distal implantation of the cystic duct in these three patients as a potential cause for acute pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: The white test is useful for detection of bile leakage after liver resection, but we do not recommend a systematic use after LR, because severe acute pancreatitis can be lethal for the patient, especially in case of distal cystic implantation which may facilitate reflux in the main pancreatic duct.

Oncological relevance of major hepatectomy with inferior vena cava resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the short- and long-terms outcomes of patients undergoing major hepatectomy (MH) with inferior vena cava (IVC) resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). METHODS: Data from all patients who underwent MH for ICC with or without IVC resection between 2010 and 2018 were analysed retrospectively. Postoperative outcomes, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared in the whole population. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis and an inverse probability weighting analysis (IPW) were performed to assess the influence of IVC resection on short- and long-terms outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 78 patients who underwent MH, 20 had IVC resection (IVC patients). Overall, the mortality and severe complication rate were 8% and 20%, respectively. IVC patients required more extended hepatectomies (p = 0.001) and had increased rates of transfusions (p = 0.001), however they did not experience increased postoperative morbidity, even after PSM. The 1-, 3- and 5-years OS and DFS were 78%, 45%, and 32% and 48%, 20%, and 16%, respectively. IVC was not associated with decreased OS (p = 0.52) and/or RFS (p = 0.85), even after IPW. CONCLUSION: MH with IVC resection for ICC seems to provide acceptable short- and long-term results in a selected population of patients.

Liver transplantation in patients with liver failure related to exertional heatstroke.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Severe acute liver injury is a grave complication of exertional heatstroke. Liver transplantation (LT) may be a therapeutic option, but the criteria for LT and the optimal timing of LT have not been clearly established. The aim of this study was to define the profile of patients who require transplantation in this context. METHODS: This was a multicentre, retrospective study of patients admitted with a diagnosis of exertional heatstroke-related severe acute liver injury with a prothrombin time (PT) of less than 50%. A total of 24 male patients were studied. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 24 patients (median nadir PT: 35% [29.5-40.5]) improved under medical therapy alone and survived. Nine of the 24 were listed for emergency LT. At the time of registration, the median PT was 10% (5-12) and all had numerous dysfunctional organs. Five patients (nadir PT: 12% [9-12]) were withdrawn from the list because of an elevation of PT values that mainly occurred between day 2 and day 3. Ultimately, 4 patients underwent transplantation as their PT persisted at <10%, 3 days (2.75-3.25) after the onset of exertional heatstroke, and they had more than 3 organ dysfunctions. Of these 4 patients, 3 were still alive 1 year later. Histological analysis of the 4 explanted livers demonstrated massive or sub-massive necrosis, and little potential for effective mitoses, characterised by a "mitonecrotic" appearance. CONCLUSION: The first-line treatment for exertional heatstroke-related severe acute liver injury is medical therapy. LT is only a rare alternative and such a decision should not be taken too hastily. A persistence of PT <10%, without any signs of elevation after a median period of 3  days following the onset of heatstroke, was the trigger that prompted LT, was the trigger adopted in order to decide upon LT. LAY SUMMARY: Acute liver injury due to heatstroke can progress to acute liver failure with organ dysfunction despite medical treatment; in such situations, liver transplantation (LT) may offer a therapeutic option. The classic criteria for LT appear to be poorly adapted to heatstroke-related acute liver failure. We confirmed thatmedication is the first-line therapy acute liver injury caused by heatstroke, with LT only rarely necessary. A decision to perform LT should not be made hastily. Fluctuations in prothrombin time and the patient's clinical status should be considered even in the event of severe liver failure.

Short-term outcomes after major hepatic resection in patients with cirrhosis: a 75-case unicentric western experience.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of performing major hepatic resection (MHR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis remains controversial because of its high risk of posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). This study was conducted to assess the risk of MHR for HCC in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: Patients with Child-Pugh A or B cirrhosis and HCC who underwent MHR from January 2000 to June 2014 were retrospectively identified. Risk factors for postoperative morbidity and mortality using univariate and multivariate analyses were evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy patients with Child-Pugh A (93%) and 5 (7%) with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis underwent MHR for HCC. Thirteen (17%) had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A, 39 (50%) had BCLC B, and 23 (32%) had BCLC C disease. A perioperative blood transfusion was performed in 18 patients (24%). Ninety-day postoperative mortality was 9% (n=7). Major complications occurred in 16 patients (21%), including PHLF in 9 patients (12%). A multivariate analysis showed that perioperative blood transfusion was the main independent factor associated with mortality (OR= 6.5) and major morbidity (OR=10). CONCLUSION: In selected patients with HCC and cirrhosis, MHR is feasible and has acceptable mortality, but careful perioperative management and limiting blood loss are required.

Portal vein stenosis preconditioning of living donor liver in swine: early mechanisms of liver regeneration and gain of hepatic functional mass.

To reduce the morbidity and mortality risk for the donor in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we previously identified 20% left portal vein (LPV) stenosis as an effective preconditioning method to induce cell proliferation in the contralateral lobe without downstream ipsilateral atrophy. In this study, we report the pathways involved in the first hours after preconditioning and investigate the changes in liver volume and function. Fourteen pigs were used this study. Five pigs were used to study the genetic, cellular and molecular mechanisms set up in the early hours following the establishment of our preconditioning. The remaining nine pigs were equally divided into three groups: sham-operated animals, 20% LPV stenosis, and 100% LPV stenosis. Volumetric scanning and 99 mTc-Mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy were performed before preconditioning and 14 days after to study morphological and functional changes in the liver. We demonstrated that liver regeneration triggered by 20% LPV stenosis in the contralateral lobe involves TNF-α, IL-6, and inducible nitric oxide synthase 2 by means of STAT3 and hepatocyte growth factor. We confirmed that our preconditioning was responsible for an increase in the total liver volume. Finally, we demonstrated that this volumetric gain was associated with an increase in hepatic functional capacity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We describe a new preconditioning method for major hepatectomy that is applicable to hepatectomy for donation. We identified 20% left portal vein stenosis as effective preconditioning that is capable of inducing cell proliferation in the contralateral lobe without the downstream ipsilateral atrophy. In this study, we report the pathways involved in the first hours following preconditioning, and we confirm that 20% left portal vein stenosis is responsible for an increase in the functional capacity and total liver volume in a porcine model.

Postoperative Bleeding After Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: the Achilles' Heel?

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is technically demanding, and its impact on postoperative outcomes remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To compare short-term outcomes between laparoscopic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) in order to assess the safety of LPD. METHODS: From 2002 to 2014, all consecutive patients undergoing LPD or OPD at two tertiary centers were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were matched for demographics, comorbidities, pathological diagnosis, and pancreatic texture. Results for the two groups were compared for postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty-five LPD were performed and compared to 290 OPD. In the whole population, postoperative pancreatic fistula (PF) was higher in the LPD group, but the proportion of ampullary adénocarcinoma (25 vs. 10%, p = 0.004) and soft pancreatic parenchyma (52 vs. 38%, p = 0.001) were higher in the LDP group. After matching (n = 65), LPD was associated with longer operative time (429 vs. 328 min, p < 0.001) and lower blood loss (370 vs. 515 mL, p = 0.047). The PF rate and its severity were similar (33 vs. 27%, p = 0.439, p = 0.083) in the two groups. However, both complications (78 vs. 71%, p = 0.030) and major complications (40 vs. 23%, p = 0.033) were more frequent in the LPD group. LPD patients experience more postoperative bleeding (21 vs. 14%, p = 0.025) compared to their open counterparts. In multivariate analysis, perioperative transfusion (OR = 5 IC 95% (1.5-16), p = 0.008), soft pancreas (OR = 2.5 IC 95% (1.4-4.6), p = 0.001), and ampullary adenocarcinoma (OR = 2.6 IC 95% (1.2-5.6), p = 0.015) were independent risks factors of major complications. CONCLUSION: Despite lower blood loss and lower intraoperative transfusion, LPD leads to higher rate of postoperative complications with postoperative bleeding in particular.

Indocyanine Green Retention Rates at 15 min Predicted Hepatic Decompensation in a Western Population.

BACKGROUND: ICGR15 is widely used in Asia to evaluate the liver reserve before hepatectomy, but not in Western countries where patients are selected using the MELD score and/or platelet count. Postoperative liver failure is rare nowadays, but hepatic decompensation (HD), defined by 3-month postoperative ascites, impairs quality of life and survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15) before liver resection in Western countries, in order to predict HD. METHODS: This prospectively designed study included consecutive adult patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in three French HPB centres. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2014, 147 patients were included (80% of HCC and 20% of ICC). The Child-Pugh status was grade A for all patients. In the overall population and in F3/F4 patients (n = 83), ICGR15 (P = 0.02) and platelet counts (P = 0.02) were predictive of HD under multivariate analysis. Among F3/F4 patients undergoing minor hepatectomy with preoperative ICGR15 > 15%, the rate of HD was 36%. In the overall population, ICGR15 was predictive of HD (P = 0.02) and postoperative ascites (P = 0.03). The ROC curve identified a cut-off point of 15% as being associated with increased HD, with good accuracy for ICGR15 in the study population (AUROC 0.73), mainly before minor hepatectomy (AUROC 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HCC and ICC selected using the MELD score and platelet rate, an ICGR15 > 15% is a relevant, non-invasive and clearly accurate method to predict HD specially before minor hepatectomy.

Sensitizing Surgeons to Their Outcome Has No Measurable Short-term Benefit.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate if involving surgeons in outcome prediction-research and having them use a dedicated Electronic-Health-Record that provides feedback, improves patients' outcome. BACKGROUND: Improvement of clinical outcome mainly relies on the declaration of adverse events, identification of their predictors, self-assessment, and feedback. METHODS: Thirteen French Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary-centers made commitment to include all patients undergoing elective hepatectomies in an observational study. Each center was given access to a dedicated website, where perioperative data were prospectively collected. The website provided real-time individual and comparative feedback of outcome and was also intended to perform prognostication studies. The hypothesis was that by using this strategy, the length-of-stay would be reduced by 10%. Power-calculation implied the inclusion of 1720 patients. Secondary endpoints were 90-day mortality, severe morbidity, and the comprehensive-complication index. RESULTS: Only 5 of the 13 participating centers were fully compliant in enrolling their patients and the inclusion period was extended by 1-year (October 2012-October 2015) to meet the objective. During this period, the collaborative group published 9 studies based on the study data (median impact factor = 8.327) that identified quantitative clinical variables, qualitative clinical variables, and nonclinical variables influencing outcome. For patients enrolled by the 5 active centers (n = 1752), there was no improvement in length of stay (13.3 vs 12.4 days, P = 0.287), severe complications (23.6 vs 20.5%, P = 0.134), the complication comprehensive index (24.0 vs 24.9, P = 0.448), mortality (4.1 vs 3.9%, P = 0.903), or unplanned readmissions (7.2 vs 8.4%, P = 0.665), even after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSION: Simply sensitizing surgeons to their outcome has no measurable short-term clinical benefit.

Comparison of different feeding regimes after pancreatoduodenectomy - a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is the most frequent pancreatic specific complication (PSC) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Several gastric decompression systems exist to manage DGE. Patients with a pancreatic tumor require prolonged nutrition; however, controversies exist concerning nutrition protocol after PD. The aim of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of nasogastric (NG), gastrostomy (GT), and gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tubes with different feeding systems on postoperative courses. METHODS: Between January 2013 and March 2016, 86 patients underwent PD with pancreaticogastrostomy. Patients were divided into three groups: GJ group with enteral nutrition (EN, n = 12, 14%), NG (n = 31, 36%) and GT groups (n = 43, 50%), both with total parenteral nutrition (TPN). RESULTS: Patients in the GJ (n = 9, 75%) and GT (n = 18, 42%) groups had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of 3 more often than those in the NG group (n = 5, 16%, p ≤ 0.01). Multivariate analysis identified the GT tube with TPN as an independent risk factor of severe morbidity (p = 0.02) and DGE (p < 0.01). An ASA score of 3, jaundice, common pancreatic duct size ≤3 mm and soft pancreatic gland texture (p < 0.05) were found as independent risk factors of PSCs. Use of a GJ tube with EN, GT tube with TPN, jaundice, and PSCs were identified as independent risk factors for greater postoperative length of hospital stay (p < 0.01). Mean global hospitalization cost did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: GT tube insertion with TPN was associated with increased severe postoperative morbidity and DGE and should not be recommended. EN through a GJ tube after PD is feasible but does not have clear advantages on postoperative courses compared to an NG tube.

Intensive Early Rehabilitation in the Intensive Care Unit for Liver Transplant Recipients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the feasibility and tolerance of an intensive rehabilitation protocol initiated during the postoperative period in an intensive care unit (ICU) in liver transplant recipients. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. SETTING: ICU. PARTICIPANTS: Liver transplant recipients over a period of 1 year (N=40). INTERVENTIONS: The "usual treatment group" (n=20), which benefited from the usual treatment applied in the ICU (based on physician prescription for the physiotherapist, with one session a day), and the experimental group (n=20), which followed a protocol of early and intensive rehabilitation (based on a written protocol validated by physicians and an evaluation by physiotherapist, with 2 sessions a day), were compared. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Our primary aims were tolerance, assessed from the number of adverse events during rehabilitation sessions, and feasibility, assessed from the number of sessions discontinued. RESULTS: The results revealed a small percentage of adverse events (1.5% in the usual treatment group vs 1.06% in the experimental group) that were considered to be of low intensity. Patients in the experimental group sat on the edge of their beds sooner (2.6 vs 9.7d; P=.048) and their intestinal transit resumed earlier (5.6 vs 3.7d; P=.015) than patients in the usual treatment group. There was no significant difference between the 2 arms regarding length of stay (LOS), despite a decrease in duration in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of an intensive early rehabilitation program for liver transplant recipients was well tolerated and feasible in the ICU. We noted that the different activities proposed were introduced sooner in the experimental group. Moreover, there is a tendency to decreased LOS in the ICU for the experimental group. These results now need to be confirmed by studies on a larger scale.

Parenchymal-sparing hepatectomies (PSH) for bilobar colorectal liver metastases are associated with a lower morbidity and similar oncological results: a propensity score matching analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a parenchymal-sparing strategy provides similar results in terms of morbidity, mortality, and oncological outcome of non-PSH hepatectomies in a propensity score matched population (PSMP) in case of multiple (>3) bilobar colorectal liver metastases (CLM). BACKGROUND: The surgical treatment of bilobar liver metastasis is challenging due to the necessity to achieve complete resection margins and a sufficient future remnant liver. Two approaches are adaptable as follows: parenchymal-sparing hepatectomies (PSH) and extended hepatectomies (NON-PSH). METHODS: A total of 3036 hepatectomies were analyzed from a multicentric retrospective cohort of hepatectomies. Patients were matched in a 1:1 propensity score analysis in order to compare PSH versus NON-PSH resections. RESULTS: PSH was associated with a lower number of complications (≥1) (25% vs. 34%, p = 0.04) and a lower grade of Dindo-Clavien III and IV (10 vs. 16%, p = 0.03). Liver failure was less present in PSH (2 vs. 7%, p = 0.006), with a shorter ICU stay (0 day vs. 1 day, p = 0.004). No differences were demonstrated in overall and disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, PSH resection for bilobar multiple CLMs represents a valid alternative to NON-PSH resection in selected patients with a reduced morbidity and comparable oncological results.

Influence of Depression on Recovery After Major Noncardiac Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of patient depression (and anxiety) on postoperative outcome and surgeons' consideration of it. BACKGROUND: Patients' mental state influences the course of nonpsychiatric diseases. Evidence in the surgical setting comes mainly from cardiac-surgery patients and no predictive-model of postoperative outcome considers this dimension. METHODS: This prospective multicenter study included patients undergoing liver resections, a model of major abdominal surgery, between September 2013 and September 2014 in 8 centers. The primary outcome was postoperative morbidity or mortality (assessed by the Clavien-Dindo grade and the Comprehensive Complication Index) and the postoperative length of stay (LOS). Depression and anxiety were assessed preoperatively with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and a validated cutoff. Surgeons were preoperatively asked to predict outcome. Multivariable mixed-effects Cox models were fitted to evaluate the influence of depression on actual and surgeon-anticipated outcome and on the difference between actual and surgeon-anticipated LOS. RESULTS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale identified 142 of 591 patients (24.0%) as depressed and 40.3% as anxious. Neither condition was independently correlated with morbidity or mortality, but depression was an independent risk factor for prolonged LOS (adjusted hazard ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.83, P = 0.001). Depression was not correlated with anticipated LOS. Three variables explained the gap between anticipated and actual LOS: depression (P = 0.003), associated surgical procedures in addition to liver resection (P = 0.007), and postoperative morbidity (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 1 quarter of patients undergoing major abdominal surgery are depressed preoperatively. This depression is a strong independent predictor of prolonged LOS and partly explains surgeons' failure to predict outcome accurately.

Comparing Different Methods for the Diagnosis of Liver Steatosis: What Are the Best Diagnostic Tools?

BACKGROUND: Due to the ongoing organ shortage, marginal grafts with steatosis are more frequently used in liver transplantation, leading to higher occurrences of graft dysfunction. A histological analysis is the gold standard for the quantification of liver steatosis (LS), but has its drawbacks: it is an invasive method that varies from one pathologist to another and is not available in every hospital at the time of organ procurement. This study aimed to compare non-invasive diagnostic tools to a histological analysis for the quantification of liver steatosis. METHODS: Male C57BL6J mice were fed with a methioninecholine-deficient (MCD) diet for 14 days or 28 days to induce LS, and were compared to a control group of animals fed with a normal diet. The following non-invasive techniques were performed and compared to the histological quantification of liver steatosis: magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), CARS microscopy, 99mTc MIBI SPECT imaging, and a new near-infrared spectrometer (NIR-SG1). RESULTS: After 28 days on the MCD diet, an evaluation of LS showed ≥30% macrovesicular steatosis. High correlations were found between the NIR-SG1 and the blinded pathologist analysis (R2 = 0.945) (p = 0.001), and between the CARS microscopy (R2 = 0.801 (p < 0.001); MRS, R2 = 0.898 (p < 0.001)) and the blinded pathologist analysis. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 1 for both the NIR-SG1 and MRS (p = 0.021 and p < 0.001, respectively), while the AUC = 0.910 for the Oil Red O stain (p < 0.001) and the AUC = 0.865 for the CARS microscopy (p < 0.001). The AUC for the 99mTc MIBI SPECT was 0.640 (p = 0.013), and this was a less discriminating technique for LS quantification. CONCLUSIONS: The best-performing non-invasive methods for LS quantification are MRS, CARS microscopy, and the NIR-SG1. The NIR-SG1 is particularly appropriate for clinical practice and needs to be validated by clinical studies on liver grafts.

Liver transplantation for neuroendocrine tumors in Europe-results and trends in patient selection: a 213-case European liver transplant registry study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes and indications in a large cohort of patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for liver metastases (LM) from neuroendocrine tumors (NET) over a 27-year period. BACKGROUND: LT for NET remains controversial due to the absence of clear selection criteria and the scarcity and heterogeneity of reported cases. METHODS: This retrospective multicentric study included 213 patients who underwent LT for NET performed in 35 centers in 11 European countries between 1982 and 2009. One hundred seven patients underwent transplantation before 2000 and 106 after 2000. Mean age at the time of LT was 46 years. Half of the patients presented hormone secretion and 55% had hepatomegaly. Before LT, 83% of patients had undergone surgical treatment of the primary tumor and/or LM and 76% had received chemotherapy. The median interval between diagnosis of LM and LT was 25 months (range, 1-149 months). In addition to LT, 24 patients underwent major resection procedures and 30 patients underwent minor resection procedures. RESULTS: Three-month postoperative mortality was 10%. At 5 years after LT, overall survival (OS) was 52% and disease-free survival was 30%. At 5 years from diagnosis of LM, OS was 73%. Multivariate analysis identified 3 predictors of poor outcome, that is, major resection in addition to LT, poor tumor differentiation, and hepatomegaly. Since 2000, 5-year OS has increased to 59% in relation with fewer patients presenting poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis of the 106 cases treated since 2000 identified the following predictors of poor outcome: hepatomegaly, age more than 45 years, and any amount of resection concurrent with LT. CONCLUSIONS: LT is an effective treatment of unresectable LM from NET. Patient selection based on the aforementioned predictors can achieve a 5-year OS between 60% and 80%. However, use of overly restrictive criteria may deny LT to some patients who could benefit. Optimal timing for LT in patients with stable versus progressive disease remains unclear.

Impact of Hyperoxia after Graft Reperfusion on Lactate Level and Outcomes in Adults Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Hyperoxia is common during liver transplantation (LT), without being supported by any guidelines. Recent studies have shown the potential deleterious effect of hyperoxia in similar models of ischemia-reperfusion. Hyperoxia after graft reperfusion during orthotopic LT could increase lactate levels and worsen patient outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective and monocentric pilot study. All adult patients who underwent LT from 26 July 2013 to 26 December 2017 were considered for inclusion. Patients were classified into two groups according to oxygen levels before graft reperfusion: the hyperoxic group (PaO2 > 200 mmHg) and the nonhyperoxic group (PaO2 < 200 mmHg). The primary endpoint was arterial lactatemia 15 min after graft revascularization. Secondary endpoints included postoperative clinical outcomes and laboratory data. RESULTS: A total of 222 liver transplant recipients were included. Arterial lactatemia after graft revascularization was significantly higher in the hyperoxic group (6.03 ± 4 mmol/L) than in the nonhyperoxic group (4.81 ± 2 mmol/L), p < 0.01. The postoperative hepatic cytolysis peak, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of ileus were significantly increased in the hyperoxic group. CONCLUSIONS: In the hyperoxic group, the arterial lactatemia, the hepatic cytolysis peak, the mechanical ventilation and the postoperative ileus were higher than in the nonhyperoxic group, suggesting that hyperoxia worsens short-term outcomes and could lead to increase ischemia-reperfusion injury after liver transplantation. A multicenter prospective study should be performed to confirm these results.

Partial splenectomy in children undergoing liver transplantation or venous shunt for severe hypersplenism: A case control comparative study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hypersplenism is a consequence of portal hypertension and splenomegaly secondary to cirrhosis or portal cavernoma in children. In order to avoid persistent hypersplenism and splenomegaly after liver transplantation (LT) or venous shunt (VS), partial splenectomy (PS) may represent a relevant therapeutic option. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the results of PS performed in children presenting hypersplenism. METHODS: The following end-points were evaluated: (1) reversion of hypersplenism and its durability over time, (2) postoperative outcome, (3) courses of spleen size and volume and (4) comparison to a control group in which PS was not performed. RESULTS: Between 1996 and 2020, 16 children underwent PS associated with LT (8 cases) for cirrhosis or VS (8 cases) for portal cavernoma. From Day 0 to 1 month, mean platelet and white blood cell counts (WBC) dramatically improved from 48 ±â€¯19 at day 0 to 176 ±â€¯70 × 109/L (P < 0.0001) and from 2469 ±â€¯853 to 7198 ±â€¯3982/L (P = 0.001) respectively. PS allowed significant reduction of splenic length and volume from 176 ±â€¯33 to 112 ±â€¯24 cm (P < 0.0001) and from 1228 ±â€¯464 to 450 ±â€¯297 cm3 (P = 0.0003) respectively. After a mean follow-up of 92.6 ±â€¯84.7 months (range: 4.1-210.7), 14 patients are alive with normal platelet and WBC counts and persistent spleen size reduction. Compared to control group, PS was associated with a significant platelet count rise from baseline to one year. CONCLUSIONS: PS appears to be effective for treatment of hypersplenism and splenomegaly in combination with LT or VS without compromising outcome.

Peri-operative risk factors of chronic kidney disease after liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a frequent long-term complication after liver transplantation (LT) and is associated with poor long-term survival. The aim of our study was to identify the risk factors of developing post-transplant CKD at 1 year, during the pre-operative, peri-operative, and post-LT phases. METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent primary LT between July 2013 and February 2018 were analyzed. To assess the impact of peri- and post-operative factors on renal function at 1 year we performed a propensity score matching on gender, age of the recipient, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, etiology of the hepatic disease, and estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) at baseline. RESULTS: Among the 245 patients who underwent LT, 215 had available data at one year (Y1), and 46% of them had CKD. Eighty-three patients in the CKD group and 83 in the normal renal function group were then matched. The median follow-up was 35 months (27-77). Patients with CKD at Y1 had a decreased 5-year survival compared to patients with normal renal function at one year: figures were 62% and 90%, respectively, p = 0.001. The independent predictors of CKD at Y1 were major complications (OR = 2.2, 95% CI [1.2-4.2]), p = 0.015, intensive care unit (ICU) stay > 5 days (OR = 2.2, 95% CI [1.3-5.1]), p = 0.046, ICU serum lactate level at 24 h ≥ 2.5 mmol/L (OR = 3.8 95% CI [1.1-8]), p = 0.034, need for post-LT renal replacement therapy (OR = 6.4 95% CI [1.4-25]), and MELD score ≥ 20 (OR = 2.1 95% CI [1.1-3.9]), p = 0.019. CONCLUSIONS: The peri-operative period has a major impact on CKD incidence. Early recognition of patients at high risk of CKD may be critical for implementation of nephroprotective measures.