Comparing practice and outcome of laparoscopic liver resection between high-volume expert centres and nationwide low-to-medium volume centres.

BACKGROUND: Based on excellent outcomes from high-volume centres, laparoscopic liver resection is increasingly being adopted into nationwide practice which typically includes low-medium volume centres. It is unknown how the use and outcome of laparoscopic liver resection compare between high-volume centres and low-medium volume centres. This study aimed to compare use and outcome of laparoscopic liver resection in three leading European high-volume centres and nationwide practice in the Netherlands. METHOD: An international, retrospective multicentre cohort study including data from three European high-volume centres (Oslo, Southampton and Milan) and all 20 centres in the Netherlands performing laparoscopic liver resection (low-medium volume practice) from January 2011 to December 2016. A high-volume centre is defined as a centre performing >50 laparoscopic liver resections per year. Patients were retrospectively stratified into low, moderate- and high-risk Southampton difficulty score groups. RESULTS: A total of 2425 patients were included (1540 high-volume; 885 low-medium volume). The median annual proportion of laparoscopic liver resection was 42.9 per cent in high-volume centres and 7.2 per cent in low-medium volume centres. Patients in the high-volume centres had a lower conversion rate (7.4 versus 13.1 per cent; P < 0.001) with less intraoperative incidents (9.3 versus 14.6 per cent; P = 0.002) as compared to low-medium volume centres. Whereas postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were similar in the two groups, a lower reintervention rate (5.1 versus 7.2 per cent; P = 0.034) and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (3 versus 5 days; P < 0.001) were observed in the high-volume centres as compared to the low-medium volume centres. In each Southampton difficulty score group, the conversion rate was lower and hospital stay shorter in high-volume centres. The rate of intraoperative incidents did not differ in the low-risk group, whilst in the moderate-risk and high-risk groups this rate was lower in high-volume centres (absolute difference 6.7 and 14.2 per cent; all P < 0.004). CONCLUSION: High-volume expert centres had a sixfold higher use of laparoscopic liver resection, less conversions, and shorter hospital stay, as compared to a nationwide low-medium volume practice. Stratification into Southampton difficulty score risk groups identified some differences but largely outcomes appeared better for high-volume centres in each risk group.

Bipolar radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic giant (>10 cm) hepatic cavernous haemangiomas: initial clinical experience.

AIM: To describe initial clinical experience with bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for symptomatic giant hepatic haemangiomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four consecutive patients with a large-volume, symptomatic hepatic cavernous haemangioma of >10 cm were treated with bipolar RFA during laparotomy with ultrasound guidance. Complications were carefully noted. Clinical and radiological effectiveness were evaluated comparing baseline with 3 and 6 months follow-up of symptom assessments and upper abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: RFA was successfully performed for all four giant haemangiomas. No major complications were observed. Peri-procedural shrinking was remarkable and intermediate-term volume reduction ranged from 58-92% after 6 months. Symptom relief after 6 months was complete in two patients and considerable in the other two. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggest intra-operative bipolar RFA to be a safe, feasible, and effective technique for treatment of giant symptomatic hepatic cavernous haemangiomas.

Long-term results of radiofrequency ablation for unresectable colorectal liver metastases: a potentially curative intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term results and prognostic factors of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) in a single centre with >10 years of experience were retrospectively analysed. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) (size 0.2-8.3 cm; mean 2.4 cm) underwent a total of 126 RFA sessions (237 lesions). The mean follow-up time was 29 months (range 6-93 months). Lesion characteristics (size, number and location), procedure characteristics (percutaneous or intra-operative approach) and major and minor complications were carefully noted. Local control, mean survival time and recurrence-free and overall survival were statistically analysed. RESULTS: No direct procedure-related deaths were observed. Major complications were present in eight patients. Local RFA site recurrence was 12.7% (n = 30/237); for tumour diameters of <3 cm, 3-5 cm and >5 cm, recurrence was 5.6% (n = 8/143), 19.5% (n = 15/77) and 41.2% (n = 7/17), respectively. Centrally located lesions recurred more often than peripheral ones, at 21.4% (n = 21/98) vs 6.5% (n = 9/139), respectively, p = 0.009. Including additional treatments for recurring lesions when feasible, lesion-based local control reached 93%. The mean survival time from RFA was 56 (95% confidence interval (CI) 45-67) months. Overall 1-, 3-, 5- and 8-year survival from RFA was 93%, 77%, 36% and 24%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: RFA for unresectable CRLM is a safe, effective and potentially curative treatment option; the long-term results are comparable with those of previous investigations employing surgical resection. Factors determining success are lesion size, the number of lesions and location.

Opt-out plus, the patients' choice: preferences of cancer patients concerning information and consent regimen for future research with biological samples archived in the context of treatment.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to determine: (1) which consent procedures patients prefer for future medical research with tissue stored following surgery; (2) the percentage of patients who choose not to provide consent for research with their stored tissue; (3) the reasons given for denying such tissue use. METHODS: Patients (n = 103) from the Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, an academic hospital in The Netherlands, who had recently undergone surgery for breast or colorectal cancer were mailed a questionnaire about preferences for consent regimens. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients (74%) completed the questionnaire. Only two patients (3%) chose not to provide consent for research with their stored tissue. The majority of patients (60%) preferred an "opt-out plus" procedure that included receiving active, verbal information to "one-time general consent" (11%) or to an "opt-out" procedure without verbal notification (5%). Only 3% indicated a wish to be asked for consent for each new research project and 21% did not know what they preferred or had no preference. There were no significant associations observed between preference for the various consent regimens and age, sex, educational level or personal sense of ownership of the stored tissue. CONCLUSION: Patients prefer an opt-out plus procedure that includes the provision of explicit, verbal and written information. Less than 5% of patients decline to consent to the use of their stored tissue for research purposes.

Perioperative lavage promotes intraperitoneal adhesion in the rat.

This study was designed to study the effect of peritoneal lavage solutions on postsurgical adhesion formation in rats undergoing laparotomy and standardized ischemic injury to the lateral peritoneum with sutures. This reproducible model enabled semiquantitative scoring of adhesion formation. Adhesions were induced in 33 adult female Wistar rats. The solutions RPMI medium, NaCl (0.9%), Viaspan(R) and both povidone-iodine (1%) and chlorhexidine (0.02%) in dilution were evaluated. In the control group that was operated upon (without peritoneal lavage), a mean adhesion percentage of 22.5% was scored. All solutions used for abdominal lavage in this rat model induced significantly (p = 0. 0001) more adhesions (40.6-70.8%). Not all solutions induced an equal effect. The results found in the present in vivo study correlate with observations in previous in vitro experiments i.e. exposure of peritoneal areas to lavage solutions enhances peritoneal activation and thus promotes intra-abdominal adhesion formation.

Reduction of peritoneal trauma by using nonsurgical gauze leads to less implantation metastasis of spilled tumor cells.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether infliction of peritoneal trauma would promote tumor cell adherence to damaged peritoneal surfaces; to investigate whether peritoneal damage could promote tumor growth of extraperitoneal tumors; and to evaluate whether the amount of trauma correlated with the degree of tumor cell adherence and local and distant tumor growth. BACKGROUND DATA: After potentially curative resection of colorectal carcinoma, the most common site for recurrence is locoregional. We previously demonstrated that surgical trauma induces a cascade of events leading to adhesion formation. The same mechanisms may be responsible for improved tumor cell adherence and growth facilitation in early local recurrence. METHODS: A reproducible rat model was used in which peritoneal damage was inflicted by standardized rubbing of the peritoneum with surgical gauzes of different texture. In the first experiment, tumor cell adherence and growth at traumatized and nontraumatized peritoneal sites were assessed semiquantitatively 3 weeks after perioperative intra-abdominal injection of CC-531 tumor cells. In the second experiment, the effect of peritoneal trauma on ectopic tumor growth was investigated (CC-531 implanted under the renal capsule). In the final experiment, we evaluated how soon after peritoneal traumatization tumor cell adhesion and growth-promoting factors were active and whether they could be passively transferred to naïve nontraumatized abdominal cavities. RESULTS: A significant correlation between the amount of peritoneal trauma and the degree of tumor take at damaged peritoneal surfaces was found (p < or = 0.018). Tumor take at remote peritoneal sites not directly traumatized was also significantly higher after severe trauma than after moderate trauma of the peritoneum (p < or = 0.005). In addition, a significant correlation between the degree of peritoneal trauma and the growth of ectopic tumors under the renal capsule was observed (p < or = 0.009). The final experiment demonstrated that within a few hours after infliction of peritoneal trauma, tumor growth-promoting effects could be passively transferred to naïve recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical trauma is an important factor in the promotion of local recurrence. The enhancing effect of trauma is not restricted to the inflicted site but rather has a generalized character. Avoidance of unnecessary surgical trauma by using gentle techniques and materials is therefore indicated.