Arterial ischemia in the deportalized liver following associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy

Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS) is a novel 2-stage technique intended to induce rapid growth of the future liver remnant(FLR). Initial reports of a 12% mortality rate have sparked debate regarding the safety of the procedure. A 64 years old male was planned for a rightsided hemi-hepatectomy due to colorectal cancer liver metastases. Intra-operatively it was decided to convert to an ALPPS due to unexpectedly small segments 2-4. Post-operative serum laboratory tests indicated an acute liver failure and radiological imaging showed no sign of arterial blood flow to the right hemi-liver. A computed tomography examination on post-operative day 3 revealed that the FLR had increased from 290 to 690 m L in 3 d(138% growth). In the following days serum values gradually improved and stage 2 was carried out on post-operative day 7. The rest of the hospital stay was uneventful and the patient made a full recovery. ALPPS is a fascinating advancement in liver surgery. Despite severe post-operative complications, in properly selected cases it provides successful outcomes that other modalities of treatment cannot offer.

Lymph node ratio in resected pancreatic head cancers: time for a broader clinical implementation?

Lymph node ratio(LNR)has emerged as a promising predictor for survival outcome after surgery in different tumor types(1,2).The concept of evaluating LNR as a prognostic factor also after pancreatic surgery has been described in several publications(3,4).Most of the previous reports on LNR in this setting are single-center studies with rather small cohorts and/or mixed histological tumor types,possibly limiting the generalizability of the results.Even if the role of LNR in pancreatic cancer has been acknowledged,it is still regarded as having mostly academical implications when comparing results from different studies and is probably rarely being used as a tool in clinical decision-making world-wide.

How should liver hypertrophy be stimulated?A comparison of upfront associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS)and portal vein embolization(PVE)with rescue possibility

Background:The role of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS)in comparison to portal vein embolization(PVE)is debated.The aim of this study was to compare successful resection rates(RR)with upfront ALPPS vs.PVE with rescue ALPPS on demand and to compare the hypertrophy of the liver between ALPPS and PVE plus subsequent rescue ALPPS.Methods:A retrospective analysis of all patients treated with PVE for colorectal liver metastasis(CRLM)or ALPPS(any diagnosis,rescue ALPPS included)at five Scandinavian university hospitals during the years 2013-2016 was conducted.A Chi-square test and a Mann-Whitney U test were used to assess the difference between the groups.A successful RR was defined as liver resection without a 90-day mortality.Results:A total of 189 patients were included.Successful RR was in 84.5%of the patients with ALPPS upfront and in 73.3%of the patients with PVE and rescue ALPPS on demand(P=0.080).The hypertrophy of the future liver remnants(FLRs)with ALPPS upfront was 71%(48-97%)compared to 96%(82-113%)after PVE and rescue ALPPS(P=0.010).Conclusions:Upfront ALPPS offers a somewhat higher successful RR than PVE with rescue ALPPS on demand.The sequential combination of PVE and ALPPS leads to a higher overall degree of hypertrophy than upfront ALPPS.

The potential use of extended criteria donors and eligible recipients in liver transplantation for unresectable colorectal liver metastases in Central Sweden

Background:Unresectable colorectal liver metastases(CRLM)is a condition with poor prognosis.A recent treatment alternative improving survival in patients with unresectable CRLM,has emerged with the introduction of liver transplantation(LT),yet not uncontroversial with the current organ shortage.This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the potential of declined donors with acceptable risk as liver graft donors and patients with unresectable CRLM as potential recipients.Methods:All declined donors in central Sweden and all patients with CRLM discussed at multidisciplinary team conference at Karolinska University Hospital,January 2013-October 2018,were identified.Donors were classified according to the European Committee Guide to the quality and safety of organs for transplantation and potential recipients were evaluated by selection criteria,based on studies on the Norwegian Secondary Cancer study database.Results:Out of 1,462 evaluated potential donors,62(2.7 pmp)donors were identified,corresponding to 6-18%of the utilized donor pool.Out of 1,008 included patients with CRLM,25(2.1 pmp)potential recipients were recognized.Eligibility for LT and left-sided colon cancer were favorable prognostic factors.Conclusions:Today’s donor pool could increase with the use of extended criteria donors,which is sufficient and display an acceptable risk-benefit ratio for patients with unresectable CRLM.With current selection criteria a small subset of patients with unresectable CRLM are eligible recipients.This subset of patients has a better survival compared to patients ineligible for LT.

Tumor progression in two-stage liver resections—is the shorter inter-stage period in associated liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) of benefit to the patient?

A two-stage liver resection is a surgical option in patients with bilobar liver tumors in whom a single procedure is not feasible because of insufficient functional volume of the future liver remnant.The use of unilateral portal vein occlusion,such as portal vein embolization,induce hypertrophy of the future liver remnant in order to enable subsequent resection.Concomitant enhancement of tumor growth along with the hypertrophy response has raised concerns regarding oncological outcomes of the procedure.