Is the Age of Patients with Iatrogenic Bile Duct Injuries Increasing?

UNLABELLED: Resection of the gall-bladder is still the most common surgical procedure performed at general surgery departments. The laparoscopic method used in the majority of cases offers considerable benefits but at the same time is associated with an increased rate of bile duct complications. So far, a slim female aged 25-50 years was a typical patient with a iatrogenic bile duct injury. The aim of the study was to identify the age of patients with iatrogenic bile duct injuries as well as the clinical course observed in recent years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gender and age structure of patients admitted to the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery between the beginning of 2011 and June 2014 and treated for iatrogenic bile duct injuries, complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, were analysed. The patients were referred to the department as a reference centre. RESULTS: In the group of 186 patients, females predominated (69.4%) and the mean age was 52 years. A considerable increase in the mean age of patients treated in 2014 as compared with previous years was seen. This was related to an increased rate of bile duct injuries in patients aged over 70 years, who accounted for about 25% of the group. In previous years, bile duct injuries in patients of such an advanced age happened considerably less frequently. CONCLUSIONS: A iatrogenic bile duct injury in an elderly person may prove a fatal complication. A repair surgery, i.e. the biliary-enteric anastomosis, is a major and burdensome procedure, particularly in the case of patients aged over 70 years. Special caution during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is advised in this population, and the slightest doubts should lead to conversion.

Evolution Of The Results Of 1500 Liver Transplantations Performed In The Department Of General, Transplant And Liver Surgery Medical University Of Warsaw.

UNLABELLED: Liver transplantation is a well-established treatment of patients with end-stage liver disease and selected liver tumors. Remarkable progress has been made over the last years concerning nearly all of its aspects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of long-term outcomes after liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery (Medical University of Warsaw). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data of 1500 liver transplantations performed between 1989 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Transplantations were divided into 3 groups: group 1 including first 500 operations, group 2 including subsequent 500, and group 3 comprising the most recent 500. Five year overall and graft survival were set as outcome measures. RESULTS: Increased number of transplantations performed at the site was associated with increased age of the recipients (p<0.001) and donors (p<0.001), increased rate of male recipients (p<0.001), and increased rate of piggyback operations (p<0.001), and decreased MELD (p<0.001), as well as decreased blood (p=0.006) and plasma (p<0.001) transfusions. Overall survival was 71.6% at 5 years in group 1, 74.5% at 5 years in group 2, and 85% at 2.9 years in group 3 (p=0.008). Improvement of overall survival was particularly observed for primary transplantations (p=0.004). Increased graft survival rates did not reach the level of significance (p=0.136). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcomes after liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery are comparable to those achieved in the largest transplant centers worldwide and are continuously improving despite increasing recipient age and wider utilization of organs procured from older donors.

Results of liver transplantation in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery at the Medical University of Warsaw in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C viruses infection.

INTRODUCTION: Cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most frequent indication for liver transplantation worldwide. Progress in prophylaxis of posttransplant HBV recurrence has led to major improvements in long-term outcomes of patients after liver transplantation. Conversely, impaired posttransplant survival of patients with HCV infection was reported in several studies, mainly due to recurrence of viral infection. The purpose of this study was to compare long-term results of liver transplantation between patients with HBV monoinfection, HCV monoinfection and HBV/HCV coinfection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1090 liver transplantations were performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery in cooperation with the Department of Immunology, Internal Medicine, and Transplantology at the Transplantation Institute Medical University of Warsaw between December 1994 and May 2012. After exclusion of patients with cirrhosis of non-viral etiology, patients with malignant tumors, and patients with acute liver failure, the final study cohort comprised 209 patients with HBV (HBV+/HCV- subgroup; n = 56) or HCV (HBV-/HCV+ subgroup; n = 119) monoinfection or HBV/HCV coinfection (HBV+/HCV+; n = 34). These subgroups of patients were compared in terms of long-term results of transplantations, defined by 5-year patient and 5-year graft survival estimates. RESULTS: Overall and graft survival rates after 5-years for the whole study cohort were 74.5% and 72.6%, respectively. Five-year overall survival was 70.4% for patients within the HBV+/HCV- subgroup, 77.8% for patients within the HBV-/HCV+ subgroup, and 68.5% for patients within the HBV+/HCV+ subgroup. The corresponding rates of graft survival were 67.0%, 76.3%, and 68.5% for patients within the HBV+/HCV-, HBV-/ HCV+, and HBV+/HCV+ subgroups, respectively. Observed differences were non-significant, both in terms of overall (p = 0.472) and graft (p = 0.461) survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Both overall and graft survival rates after liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery in cooperation with the Department of Immunology, Internal Medicine, and Transplantology at the Transplantation Institute Medical University of Warsaw in patients with HBV and HCV infection are comparable to those reported by other European and American centers. In contrast to other studies, obtained results do not confirm the negative impact of HCV infection on long-term outcomes of patients.

1000 liver transplantations at the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw--analysis of indications and results.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: was to analyze indications and results of the first one thousand liver transplantations at Chair and Clinic of General, Transplantation and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from 1000 transplantations (944 patients) performed at Chair and Clinic of General, Transplantation and Liver Surgery between 1994 and 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. These included 943 first transplantations and 55 retransplantations and 2 re-retransplantations. Frequency of particular indications for first transplantation and retransplantations was established. Perioperative mortality was defined as death within 30 days after the transplantation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate 5-year patient and graft survival. RESULTS: The most common indications for first transplantation included: liver failure caused by hepatitis C infection (27.8%) and hepatitis B infection (18%) and alcoholic liver disease (17.7%). Early (< 6 months) and late (> 6 months) retransplantations were dominated by hepatic artery thrombosis (54.3%) and recurrence of the underlying disease (45%). Perioperative mortality rate was 8.9% for first transplantations and 34.5% for retransplantations. Five-year patient and graft survival rate was 74.3% and 71%, respectively, after first transplantations and 54.7% and 52.9%, respectively, after retransplantations. CONCLUSIONS: Development of liver transplantation program provided more than 1000 transplantations and excellent long-term results. Liver failure caused by hepatitis C and B infections remains the most common cause of liver transplantation and structure of other indications is consistent with European data.

[Percutaneous angioplasty for early hepatic artery thrombosis after orthotopic liver transplantation--case report]. / Przezskórna angioplastyka we wczesnej zakrzepicy tetnicy watrobowej watroby przeszczepionej--opis przypadku.

Hepatic artery thrombosis is the most frequent arterial complication after orthotopic liver transplantation. In the past, surgical treatment was required to remove the thrombus, otherwise another liver transplantation was needed. Recently, interventional treatment has become an important method in treating hepatic artery occlusion. We present our experience of the case of percutaneous angioplasty in patient with hepatic artery thrombosis after orthotopic liver transplantation. Percutaneous angioplasty with a 5 mm balloon was done immediately after diagnosis and blood flow was obtained. A stent was not placed. We observed good hepatic artery patency and graft function during the followup period of 8 months. Percutaneous angioplasty may be considered the first-line therapy for early hepatic artery thrombosis after OLT.

Randomized control trials using a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to prevent diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in volunteers.

OBJECTIVE: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the leading cause of travelers' diarrhea. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a powdered extract of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to protect against diarrhea in volunteers challenged with ETEC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tablets were manufactured from a colostrum extract from cattle immunized with 14 ETEC strains, including serogroup O78. Two separate randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 90 healthy adult volunteers were performed to investigate the ability of different tablet formulations to protect against diarrhea following an oral challenge with an O78 ETEC strain. RESULTS: The first study with 30 participants evaluated the efficacy of tablets, containing 400 mg of colostrum protein, taken thrice daily with bicarbonate buffer. This regimen conferred 90.9% protection against diarrhea in the group receiving the active preparation compared with the placebo group (p = 0.0005). The second study examined the efficacy of tablets containing 400 mg colostrum protein given with buffer (83.3% protection; p = 0.0004) or without buffer (76.7% protection; p = 0.007), and tablets containing 200 mg colostrum protein given without buffer (58.3% protection; p = 0.02), compared with placebo. The difference between buffered and unbuffered treatments was not significant (p > 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: Active tablet formulations were significantly more effective than placebo in protecting volunteers against the development of diarrhea caused by ETEC. These results suggest that administration of a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum containing antibodies against ETEC strains may reduce the risk of travelers' diarrhea.

Results of liver transplantation for hepatocellular cancer.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LTx) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic liver is nowadays generally accepted treatment modality. AIM OF STUDY: Overview of the indications and results of the LTx in the patients with HCC, the first one performed in 2001. MATERIAL/METHODS: Among 357 adult liver transplant recipients in the period 1994-04.2005, in 26 (7%) the indication was HCC (16 men: 10 women, age 20-65, mean 46.5 years). HCC developed in cirrhotic liver in 25 pts. 12 (48%) were Child C, 10 (30%)--Child B and 3 (12%)--Child A patients. As underlying disease in 2 patients (8%) was alcoholic cirrhosis, in 7 (28%)--HBV cirrhosis, in 12 (48%)--HCV cirrhosis and in 4 (16%)--HBV/HCV cirrhosis. Milano criteria were met in 20 patients (77%). The mean waiting list time was 2.9 months (range 1-6 months). Seven patients underwent liver resection and 1 transarterial chemoembolization prior to LTx. 11 patients (42%) were operated on with use of veno-venous bypass, in 15 patients (58%) the piggy back technique was applied. Rapamycine based immunosuppression was preferred in post-LTx treatment. RESULTS: Operative mortality was 0.4 patients required relaparotomy for intraperitoneal bleeding. 21 patients (81%) are alive in good general condition, 19--free of the disease. 5 patients died 7-28 months after LTx (mean 16.7). The mean survival time is 20 months (range 1-38). CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplantation is safe and effective method of treatment of the selected patients with HCC in cirrhotic liver. Further investigations concerning the precise indications, timing of the transplantation and adjuvant treatment are necessary.