Laparoscopic versus open liver resection: a meta-analysis of long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic liver resection is growing in popularity, but the long-term outcome of patients undergoing laparoscopic liver resection for malignancy has not been established. This paper is a meta-analysis and compares the long-term survival of patients undergoing laparoscopic (LHep) versus open (OHep) liver resection for the treatment of malignant liver tumours. METHODS: A PubMed database search identified comparative human studies analysing LHep versus OHep for malignant tumours. Clinical and survival parameters were extracted. The search was last conducted on 18 March 2012. RESULTS: In total, 1002 patients in 15 studies were included (446 LHep and 556 OHep). A meta-analysis of overall survival showed no difference [1-year: odds ratio (OR) 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42 to 1.20, P = 0.202; 3-years: OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.03, P = 0.076; 5-years: OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.10, P = 0.173]. Subset analyses of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal metastases (CRM) were performed. There was no difference in the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival for HCC or in the 1-year survival for CRM, however, a survival advantage was found for CRM at 3 years (LHep 80% versus OHep 67.4%, P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery should be considered an acceptable alternative for the treatment of malignant liver tumours.

Epinephrine, cortisol, endotoxin, nutrition, and the neutrophil.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil dysfunction has been documented after injury in animals and human beings. This review evaluates the relative effects of the hormonal and endotoxin response to injury on immune resistance. METHOD: Review of the pertinent English-language literature. RESULTS: In volunteers given total parenteral nutrition, neutrophils demonstrate a robust response to leukotriene B4 but none to zymosan/activated serum or the bacterial metabolite formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). This finding suggests subclinical exposure to activated complement and FMLP that does not occur during enteral feeding. Additional evidence of neutrophil activation is the release of lactoferrin to the same degree with the two routes of feeding. When normal volunteers are challenged with endotoxin, uniform impairment of the neutrophil response to chemotactic stimuli except LTB4 is demonstrated. Epinephrine increases the total circulating neutrophil pool for a few hours, whereas when cortisol is administered, the neutrophil counts continue to increase through 6 h. A combined epinephrine and cortisol infusion extends the half-life of neutrophils. The role of genomic and central nervous system control through the vagus nerve also is reviewed. CONCLUSION: Normal volunteers have provided insight into the stress response to infection that is understood only partially.