Challenges and perspectives of surgical treatment of liver failure. Current status and last achievements in Georgia.

ABSTRACT

Liver transplantation is considered to be the last hope of treatment for irreversible liver failure caused by different diffuse and/or space-occupying lesions of this organ. The strict limitation of the donor organs stipulates for development of alternative approaches for the solving this problem. The presented review of literature and our experience aims to discuss the modern aspects of management of different hepatic pathologies causing liver failure with the view of creation of the auxiliary, bioengineer-based functional tissues and/or organs and innovative surgical interventions allowing to conduct the operations in cases, which were up to date considered as inoperable. There are highlighted the last achievements of the experimental and translational studies performed in four University research centers of Georgia, which, on the one hand, provoke the specific professional interest, and on the other hand, require the international cooperation and collaboration for further progress and advances in this field of surgery. KEY WORDS Artificial liver, Bio-Artificial organs, Liver failure, Innovative surgery, Tissue engineering.