Downstaging Locally Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma Pre-Liver Transplantation: A Prospective Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) after neoadjuvant therapy (NT) in well-selected patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) achieves excellent recurrence-free survival. Current criteria for NT-OLT exclude patients with locally advanced hilar and intrahepatic CCA from potential cure. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of NT in downstaging locally advanced CCA, and examine outcomes after OLT. METHODS: Among 24 patients referred for unresectable hilar and intrahepatic CCA from January 2013 through August 2017, 18 met center-specific inclusion criteria for the NT-OLT treatment protocol: hilar tumor size ≤3.5 cm or intrahepatic ≤8 cm, and regional lymphadenopathy but without distant metastasis. Median follow-up was 22.1 mo from diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 18 patients who initiated NT, 11 were removed from the protocol due to tumor progression (n = 6) or uncontrolled infection and failure-to-thrive (n = 5). Median NT duration tended to be shorter for patients progressing to dropout than for those surviving to OLT (5.5 versus 13.5 mo, P = 0.109). Among five patients who received OLT, 1-y post-OLT patient survival was 80%: three survive recurrence-free (14.5-29.2 mo post-OLT); one developed an isolated tumor recurrence in a single portacaval lymph node at 12 mo post-OLT; and one experienced non-tumor-related death. All dropout patients died at a median of 14.4 mo after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study to show successful NT downstaging of unresectable locally advanced hilar and intrahepatic CCA before OLT. NT-OLT for select patients with locally advanced hilar and intrahepatic CCA achieved acceptable short-term recurrence-free survival.

The transplant ureter causing small bowel obstruction following intraperitoneal kidney transplantation: a case report.

Internal bowel herniation under the ureter of an intraperitoneally transplanted kidney is a rare complication yet carries a high burden of morbidity and potential mortality if not recognized and managed appropriately. We describe a case where early intervention salvaged the bowel without ureteral injury. We also describe a technique to close the space beneath the ureter to prevent further episodes of internal herniation.

Liver Transplantation for Fulminant Hepatic Failure Precipitated by Pheochromocytoma Crisis in the Setting of Using Garcinia cambogia Weight Loss Supplement: A Case Report.

We report the first case of liver transplantation for fulminant hepatic failure precipitated by hepatocellular injury due to the synergistic effect of pheochromocytoma crisis and simultaneous use of Garcinia cambogia. Complex diagnosis and treatment decisions are discussed, as well as possible pathophysiology that led to liver failure.

The Leading Transplantation Journals: A Trend Analysis, 2011-2021.

Background: As the field of transplantation has expanded, so have the quantity and variety of articles published on the topic. Evaluation of publications and journals is crucial to the expansion of transplant research. This study investigated the research output and journal metrics of the leading solid organ transplant journals published between 2011 and 2021 based on estimations of the trends in the category CiteScore from the Scopus database. Materials and Methods: We obtained data on the listed journals from the Scopus Source List. We then filtered the list for "Transplantation" journals. Only the top quartiles or quartile 1 (Q1) journals were placed in this category. This study focused specifically on transplantation journals and did not include other journals related to diseases of transplanted organs such as the kidney, liver, heart, and lungs. Results: The number of transplantation journals increased by 42.8% in the last ten years, from 28 in 2011 to 40 in 2021. Between 2011 and 2021, nine transplantation journals ranked in the highest quartile (Q1). The American Journal of Transplantation was the top journal in both years, with a 150% increase in citations and an 11.2% increase in articles published. Open access (OA) transplant journals rose from 3 in 2011 to 10 in 2021. In 2021, OA journals earned 8,555 citations, a 125% increase from 2011. Despite this increase, non-OA journals received more citations than OA in 2021 (p value 0.026). Conclusion: Solid organ transplantation advances lead to more publications and citations. Regular journals and publications evaluation benefits academics and policymakers by promoting the growth of research. This study examined solid organ transplantation journals and gave a global perspective on transplant journal rankings and compared their status in 2011 and 2021.

Linea alba fasciotomy: a novel alternative in trauma patients with secondary abdominal compartment syndrome.

Polytrauma patients needing aggressive resuscitation can develop intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) with subsequent secondary abdominal compartment syndrome (SACS). After patients fail medical therapy, decompressive laparotomy is the surgical last resort. In patients with severe pancreatitis SACS, the use of linea alba fasciotomy (LAF) is an effective intervention to lower IAH without the morbidity of laparotomy. A pilot study of LAF was designed to evaluate its benefit in patients with SACS polytrauma. We conducted an observational study of blunt injury polytrauma patients undergoing LAF. Variables measured before and after LAF included intra-abdominal pressure (IAP, mmHg), abdominal perfusion pressure (APP, mmHg), right ventricular end diastolic volume index (RVEDVI, mL/m2), and ejection fraction. Of the five trauma patients with SACS, the mean age was 36 +/- 17, four (80%) male with an Injury Severity Score of 27 +/- 9. Pre- and post-LAF, IAP was 20.6 +/- 4.7 and 10.6 +/- 2.7 (P < 0.0001), APP 55.2 +/- 5.5 and 77.6 +/- 7.1 (P < 0.0001), RVEDVI 86.4 +/- 9.3 and 123.6 +/- 11.9 (P < 0.0001), and EF 27.6 +/- 4.2 and 40.8 +/- 5 (P < 0.0001), respectively. One patient needed full decompression for bile ascites from unrecognized liver injury. Linea alba fasciotomy, as a first-line intervention before committing to full abdominal decompression in patients with SACS trauma, improved physiological variables without mortality. Consideration for LAF as a bridge before full abdominal decompression needs further evaluation in patients with polytrauma SACS.

Management of monophasic synovial sarcoma of the small intestine.

BACKGROUND: Reports of primary intraabdominal synovial sarcomas are extremely rare. METHODS: A literature review using PubMed was performed. A retrospective review of the one known case at our institution was completed. RESULTS: Even the most experienced pathologists report that synovial sarcomas can be very difficult to diagnose correctly. One cytogenic abnormality that is common (> 90%) and pathognomonic for synovial sarcoma is a characteristic chromosomal translocation resulting in the SYT/SSX fusion gene. Wide regional excision has been performed for intraabdominal sarcoma, with improved results. Our patient is more than 24 months with no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis for patients with intraabdominal synovial sarcoma remains poor. However, wide regional excision may allow for prolonged disease-free survival.

Staged Biliary Reconstruction After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Practical Surgical Strategy for High-Acuity Adult Recipients.

Biliary complications (BC) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is strongly associated with inferior patient outcomes and increased healthcare cost. BC in high-acuity patients can be lethal. While the utility of staged biliary reconstruction after liver transplantation (SBRALT) has been reported in adult and pediatric OLT, biliary outcome data are scarce. We sought to evaluate the clinical utility and outcomes of SBRALT in high-acuity transplant recipients. METHODS: We conducted an analysis from our prospective database of 149 adult OLT between January 1, 2012, and September 30, 2017. Mean follow-up was 26 months. Variables were compared for Group I: one-stage OLT with biliary reconstruction (N = 58) versus Group II: SBRALT (N = 91). RESULTS: Compared with Group I, patients in Group II had higher acuity of illness: median model for end-stage liver disease scores (19 vs 35 P = 0.002), requirement for pretransplant intensive care unit (29.3% vs 54.9%, P = 0.022), pretransplant renal replacement therapy (15.5% vs 48.4%), estimated blood loss (2000 vs 4750 mL, P < 0.001), and intraoperative packed red blood cells transfusion (4 vs 10 units, P < 0.001). For Group II, biliary reconstruction was performed between 1 and 6 days after OLT. Hepaticojejunostomy was performed in 8.6% (Group I) and 26.4% (Group II), P = 0.010. For Groups I and II, BC rates (8.6% vs 7.7%, P = 0.955) and 1-year graft failure-free survival rates (89.7% vs 88.2%, P = 0.845) were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Graft failure-free survival and biliary outcomes of SBRALT in high-acuity recipients are excellent and comparable to one-stage OLT for low-risk patients. SBRALT is a practical surgical strategy in complex OLT.

Individualizing liver transplant immunosuppression using a phenotypic personalized medicine platform.

Posttransplant immunosuppressive drugs such as tacrolimus have narrow therapeutic ranges. Inter- and intraindividual variability in dosing requirements conventionally use physician-guided titrated drug administration, which results in frequent deviations from the target trough ranges, particularly during the critical postoperative phase. There is a clear need for personalized management of posttransplant regimens to prevent adverse events and allow the patient to be discharged sooner. We have developed the parabolic personalized dosing (PPD) platform, which is a surface represented by a second-order algebraic equation with experimentally determined coefficients of the equation being unique to each patient. PPD uses clinical data, including blood concentrations of tacrolimus--the primary phenotypic readout for immunosuppression efficacy--to calibrate these coefficients and pinpoint the optimal doses that result in the desired patient-specific response. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we compared four transplant patients prospectively treated with tacrolimus using PPD with four control patients treated according to the standard of care (physician guidance). Using phenotype to personalize tacrolimus dosing, PPD effectively managed patients by keeping tacrolimus blood trough levels within the target ranges. In a retrospective analysis of the control patients, PPD-optimized prednisone and tacrolimus dosing improved tacrolimus trough-level management and minimized the need to recalibrate dosing after regimen changes. PPD is independent of disease mechanism and is agnostic of indication and could therefore apply beyond transplant medicine to dosing for cancer, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular medicine, where patient response is variable and requires careful adjustments through optimized inputs.