Extrahepatic collaterals and liver damage in embolotherapy for ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery

AIM: To evaluate the effects of extrahepatic collaterals to the liver on liver damage and patient outcome after embolotherapy for the ruptured hepatic artery pseudoa- neurysm following hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery. METHODS: We reviewed 9 patients who underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for the ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following major hepato- biliary pancreatic surgery between June 1992 and April 2006. We paid special attention to the extrahepatic arte- rial collaterals to the liver which may affect post-TAE liver damage and patient outcome. RESULTS: The underlying diseases were all malignan- cies, and the surgical procedures included hepatopancre- atoduodenectomy in 2 patients, hepatic resection with removal of the bile duct in 5, and pancreaticoduodenec- tomy in 2. A total of 11 pseudoaneurysm developed: 4 in the common hepatic artery, 4 in the proper hepatic artery, and 3 in the right hepatic artery. Successful he- mostasis was accomplished with the initial TAE in all patients, except for 1. Extrahepatic arterial pathways to the liver, including the right inferior phrenic artery, the jejunal branches, and the aberrant left hepatic artery, were identified in 8 of the 9 patients after the completion of TAE. The development of collaterals depended on the extent of liver mobilization during the hepatic resection, the postoperative period, the presence or absence of an aberrant left hepatic artery, and the concomitant arte- rial stenosis adjacent to the pseudoaneurysm. The liver tolerated TAE without significant consequences when at least one of the collaterals from the inferior phrenic ar-tery or the aberrant left hepatic artery was present. One patient, however, with no extrahepatic collaterals died of liver failure due to total liver necrosis 9 d after TAE. CONCLUSION: When TAE is performed on ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm, reduced collateral path- ways to the liver created by the primary surgical proce- dure and a short postoperative interval may lead to an unfavorable outcome.

indocyanine green-based fluorescence imaging in visceral and hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery:State of the art and future directions

In recent years, the use of fluorescence-guided surgery(FGS) to treat benign and malignant visceral, hepatobiliary and pancreatic neoplasms has significantly increased. FGS relies on the fluorescence signal emitted by injected substances(fluorophores) after being illuminated by ad hoc laser sources to help guide the surgical procedure and provide the surgeon with real-time visualization of the fluorescent structures of interest that would be otherwise invisible. This review surveys and discusses the most common and emerging clinical applications of indocyanine green(ICG)-based fluorescence in visceral, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. The analysis, findings, and discussion presented here rely on the authors' significant experience with this technique in their medical institutions, an up-to-date review of the most relevant articles published on this topic between 2014 and 2018, and lengthy discussions with key opinion leaders in the field during recent conferences and congresses. For each application, the benefits and limitations of this technique, as well as applicable future directions, are described. The imaging of fluorescence emitted by ICG is a simple, fast,relatively inexpensive, and harmless tool with numerous different applications in surgery for both neoplasms and benign pathologies of the visceral and hepatobiliary systems. The ever-increasing availability of visual systems that can utilize this tool will transform some of these applications into the standard of care in the near future. Further studies are needed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each application of ICG-based fluorescence imaging in abdominal surgery.

Role of artificial intelligence in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery

Over the past decade,enhanced preoperative imaging and visualization,improved delineation of the complex anatomical structures of the liver and pancreas,and intra-operative technological advances have helped deliver the liver and pancreatic surgery with increased safety and better postoperative outcomes.Artificial intelligence(AI)has a major role to play in 3D visualization,virtual simulation,augmented reality that helps in the training of surgeons and the future delivery of conventional,laparoscopic,and robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic(HPB)surgery;artificial neural networks and machine learning has the potential to revolutionize individualized patient care during the preoperative imaging,and postoperative surveillance.In this paper,we reviewed the existing evidence and outlined the potential for applying AI in the perioperative care of patients undergoing HPB surgery.

Iatrogenic bile duct injuries from biliary tract surgery

BACKGROUND:Cholecystectomy is the most commonly performed procedure in general surgery.However,bile duct injury is a rare but still one of the most common complications.These injuries sometimes present variably after primary surgery.Timely detection and appropriate management decrease the morbidity and mortality of the operation. METHODS:Five cases of iatrogenic bile duct injury(IBDI) were managed at the Department of Surgery,First Affiliated Hospital,Xi’an Jiaotong University.All the cases who underwent both open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy had persistent injury to the biliary tract and were treated accordingly. RESULTS:Recovery of the patients was uneventful.All patients were followed-up at the surgical outpatient department for six months to three years.So far the patients have shown good recovery. CONCLUSIONS:In cases of IBDI it is necessary to perform the operation under the supervision of an experienced surgeon who is specialized in the repair of bile duct injuries,and it is also necessary to detect and treat the injury as soon as possible to obtain a satisfactory outcome.

Comparison of laparoscopic and open surgery for pyogenic liver abscess with biliary pathology

AIM:To investigate the feasibility and therapeutic effect of laparoscopic surgery for pyogenic liver abscess(PLA) with biliary pathology.METHODS:From January 2004 to October 2010,31 patients with PLA combined with biliary pathology meeting entry criteria received surgical management in our hospital.Of the 31 patients,13 underwent laparoscopic surgery(LS group) and 18 underwent open surgery(OS group).Clinical data including operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative complication rate,length of postoperative hospital stay,and abscess recurrence rate were retrospectively analyzed and compared between the two groups.RESULTS:All patients received systemic antibiotic therapy.Four patients underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous catheter drainage before operation.Postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients(16.1%,5/31) including 2 in the LS group and 3 in the OS group.One patient had retained calculus in the common bile duct and another had liver abscess recurrence in the OS group.No retained calculus and liver abscess recurrence occurred in the LS group.In the two groups,there was no mortality during the perioperative period.There were no significant differences in operation time,intraoperative blood loss and transfusion,postoperative complication rate and abscess recurrence rate between the two groups.Oral intake was earlier(1.9 ± 0.4 d vs 3.1 ± 0.7 d,P < 0.05) and length of postoperative hospital stay was shorter(11.3 ± 2.9 d vs 14.5 ± 3.7 d,P < 0.05) in the LS group than in the OS group.CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic surgery for simultaneous treatment of PLA and biliary pathology is feasible in selected patients and the therapeutic effect is similar to that of open surgery.

Stage Ⅱ Pancreatic Cancer: Radical, Palliative Surgery or Stenting?

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the fourth most common reason of death among oncological diseases with ever increasing mortality. At the time of diagnosis, patients are usually suitable for three ways of treatment: radical, palliative surgery or stenting. Deciding the best option depends on clinical situation, but is still a matter of debate. Methods: We performed a retrospective research of patients with stage II pancreatic head cancer treated in our clinic between years 2002-2014. Four groups were formed according to the used treatment method: group A: radical surgery with R0 (microscopic tumour clearance) margin;group B: radical surgery with R1 (presence of tumour cells within 1 mm of the resection margin) margin;group C: biliary tract stenting;group D: biliodigestive anastomosis. Clinical data and most importantly the survival of these patients were compared. Results: 200 patients were involved in the final analysis, 82 (41%) of them were IIA and 118 (59%) were IIB. Group A consisted of 113 patients;group B consisted of 28 patients;group C consisted of 33 patients;group D consisted of 26 patients. In patients with IIA stage, group A had the highest survival rate compared with other groups, mean survival was 3.242 versus 1.600;0.454;0.652 years. Patients with IIB stage of cancer similarly had longer survival in group A versus other groups, 1.720 versus 0.931;0.713;0.957 years. Conclusions: Patients with IIA and IIB stage of pancreatic cancer benefit the most from radical surgery with R0 margin. However, for patients with lymph node involvement (stage IIB) and when achieving R0 margin is hardly possible, neoadjuvant treatment seems promising, but we need further randomized controlled trials to fully confirm its effectiveness.

Incidence of port-site metastasis after undergoing robotic surgery for biliary malignancies

AIM： To investigate the incidence of clinically detected port-site metastasis （PSM） in patients who underwent robotic surgery for biliary malignancies. METHODS： Using a prospective database, the patients undergoing fully robotic surgery for biliary malignan- cies between January 2009 and January 2011 were in- cluded. Records of patients with confirmed malignancy were reviewed for clinicopathological data and informa- tion about PSM. RESULTS： Sixty-four patients with biliary tract cancers underwent robotic surgery, and sixty patients met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 67 year （range： 40-85 year）. During a median 15-mo follow-up period, two female patients were detected solitary PSM after robotic surgery. The incidence of PSM was 3.3%. Pa- tient 1 underwent robotic anatomatic left hemihepa- tectomy and extraction of biliary tumor thrombi for an Klatskin tumor. She had a subcutaneous mass located at the right lateral abdominal wall near a trocar scar. Patient 2 underwent robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy for distal biliary cancer. She had two metachronous subcutaneous mass situated at the right lateral abdomi- nal wall under a same trocar scar at 7 and 26 mo. The pathology of the excised PSM masses confirmed meta- static biliary adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION： The incidence of PSIVls after robotic surgery for biliary malignancies is relatively low, and biliary cancer can be an indication of robotic surgery.

Present status of biliary surgery in China

ＰｒｏｇｒｅｓｅｓｏｆｂｉｌｉａｒｙｓｕｒｇｅｒｙｉｎＣｈｉｎａｉｎｒｅｃｅｎｔｙｅａｒｓｗｅｒｅｆｏｃｕｓｅｄｏｎｔｈｅｅｐｉｄｅｍｉｏｌｏｇｙｏｆｂｉｌｉａｒｙｓｔｏｎｅｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓ，ｔｈｅｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｆｌａｐａｒｏｓｃｏｐｉｃｓ...

Current status of minimally invasive liver surgery for cancers

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients have chronic liver disease with functional deterioration and multicentric oncogenicity.Liver surgeries for the patients should be planned on both oncological effects and sparing liver function.In colorectal patients with post-chemotherapy liver injury and multiple bilateral tumors,handling multiple tumors in a fragile/easy-to-bleed liver is an important issue.Liver surgery for biliary tract cancers is often performed as a resection of large-volume functioning liver with extensive lymphadenectomy and bile duct resection/reconstruction.Minimally invasive liver surgery(MILS)for HCC is applied with the advantages of laparoscopic for cases of cirrhosis or repeat resections.Small anatomical resections using the Glissonian,indocyanine greenguided,and hepatic vein-guided approaches are under discussion.In many cases of colorectal liver metastases,MILS is applied combined with chemotherapy owing to its advantage of better hemostasis.Two-stage hepatectomy and indocyanine green-guided tumor identification for multiple bilateral tumors are under discussion.In the case of biliary tract cancers,MILS with extensive lymphadenectomy and bile duct resection/reconstruction are developing.A robotassisted procedure for dissection of major vessels and handling fragile livers may have advantages,and well-simulated robot-assisted procedure may decrease the difficulty for biliary tract cancers.

Time to think: Selecting patients who may benefit from synchronous resection of primary pancreatic cancer and liver metastases

Pancreatic cancer remains a lethal disease and is associated with poor prognosis, particularly for patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis. Recently, Oweira reported a retrospective study that included 13233 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. They demonstrated that pancreatic cancer patients with isolated liver metastases had worse outcomes than patients with isolated lung metastases or distant nodal metastases. At present, the standard treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer is chemotherapy. However, improvement in the safety of pancreatic surgery has led to the consideration of more aggressive surgical approaches. Schneitler reported two cases of hepatic metastatic pancreatic cancer in which negative margin(R0) resection and long survival were achieved after effective preoperative chemotherapy. In general, these two studies indicate that although pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastasis have a poor prognosis, surgical approaches may prolong survival for a few of these patients. A strategy to select hepatic metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who may benefit from surgical intervention is urgently needed.

Current surgical management of pancreatic endocrine tumor liver metastases

BACKGROUND: The management of metastatic disease in pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) demands a multidisciplinary approach and the cooperation of several medical specialties. The role of surgery is critical, even when a radical excision cannot always be achieved. DATA SOURCES: A PubMed search of relevant articles published up to February 2011 was performed to identify current information about PET liver metastases regarding diagnosis and management, with an emphasis on surgery. RESULTS: The early diagnosis of metastases and their accurate localization, most commonly in the liver, is very important. Surgical options include radical excision, and palliative excision to relieve symptoms in case of failure of medical treatment. The goal of the radical excision is to remove the primary tumor bulk and all liver metastases at the same time, but unfortunately it is not feasible in most cases. Palliative excisions include aggressive tumor debulking surgeries in well-differentiated carcinomas, trying to remove at least 90% of the tumor mass, combined with other additional destructive techniques such as hepatic artery embolization or chemoembolization to treat metastases or chemoembolization to relieve symptoms in cases of rapidly growing tumors. The combination of chemoembolization and systemic chemotherapy results in better response and survival rates. Other local destructive techniques include ethanol injection, cryotherapy and radiofrequency ablation. CONCLUSION: It seems that the current management of PETs can achieve important improvements, even in advanced cases.

Update on surgical treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(PNENs) are rare and account for only 2%-4% of all pancreatic neoplasms. All PNENs are potential(neurendocrine tumors PNETs) or overt(neuroendocrine carcinomas PNECs) malignant,but a subset of PNETs is low-risk. Even in case of low-risk PNETs surgical resection is frequently required to treat hormone-related symptoms and to obtain an appropriate pathological diagnosis. Low-risk PNETs in the body and the tail are ideal for minimallyinvasive approaches which should be tailored to the individual patient. Generally,surgeons must aim for parenchyma sparing in these cases. In high-risk and malignant PNENs,indications for tumor resection are much wider than for pancreatic adenocarcinoma,in many cases due to the relatively benign tumor biology. Thus,patients with locally advanced and metastatic PNETs may benefit from extensive resection. In experienced hands,even multi-organ resections are accomplished with acceptable perioperative morbidity and mortality rates and are associated with excellent long term survival. However,poorly differentiated neoplasms with high proliferation rates are associated with a dismal prognosis and may frequently only be treated with chemotherapy. The evidence on surgical treatment of PNENs stems from reviews of mostly singlecenter series and some analyses of nation-wide tumor registries. No randomized trial has been performed to compare surgical and non-surgical therapies in potentially resectable PNEN. Though such a trial would principally be desirable,ethical considerations and the heterogeneity of PNENs preclude realization of such a study. In the current review,we summarize recent advances in the surgical treatment of PNENs.

Potential risk factors for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis related to pancreatic secretions following pancreaticoduodenectomy

AIM: To identify risk factors for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis following pancreaticoduodenectomy, with a focus on factors related to pancreatic secretions. METHODS: The medical records of 228 patients who had a pancreaticoduodenectomy over a 16-mo period were reviewed retrospectively. The 193 patients who did not have fatty liver disease preoperatively were included in the final analysis. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed using the differences between splenic and hepatic attenuation and liver-to-spleen attenuation as measured by non-enhanced computed tomography. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (7.8%) who showed postoperative hepatic fatty changes were assigned to Group A, and the remaining patients were assigned to Group B. Patient demographics, preoperative laboratory findings (including levels of C-peptide, glucagon, insulin and glucose tolerance test results), operation types, and final pathological findings did not differ significantly between the two groups; however, the frequency of pancreatic fistula (P = 0.020) and the method of pancreatic duct stenting (P = 0.005) showed significant differences between the groups. A multivari- ate analysis identified pancreatic fistula (HR = 3.332, P = 0.037) and external pancreatic duct stenting (HR = 4.530, P = 0.017) as independent risk factors for the development of postoperative steatohepatitis. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic fistula and external pancreatic duct stenting were identified as independent risk factors for the development of steatohepatitis following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Adjuvant treatment in biliary tract cancer: To treat or not to treat?

Biliary tract cancer is a rare malignant tumor. There is limited knowledge about biology and natural history of this disease and considerable uncertainty remains regarding its optimal diagnostic and therapeutic man- agement. The role of adjuvant therapy is object of debate and controversy. Although resection is identified as the most effective and the only potentially curative treatment, there is no consensus on the impact of ad- juvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy on the high incidence of disease recurrence and on survival. This is mainly due to the rarity of this disease and the consequent difficulty in performing randomized trials. The only two prospectively controlled trials concluded that adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve survival. Most of the retrospective trials, which had limited sample size and included heterogeneous patients population and non-standardized therapies, suggested a marginal benefit of chemoradiotherapy in reducing locoregional recurrence and an uncertain impact on survival. Welldesigned multi-institutional randomized trials are necessary to clarify the role of adjuvant therapy. Two ongoing phase Ⅲ trials may provide relevant information.

Biliary tract tumors: past, present and future

Tumors ofthe biliary tract （gallbladder tumors, cholangiocarcinomas and ampullary carcinomas） are low incidence tumors with poor prognosis. The five-year overall survival is 50% for stage I, 30% stage II, 10% stage III and 0% stage IV. Treatment is based on surgery for potentially resectable tumors. Chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy is the treatment of choice when surgery is not amenable, however it has not achieved encouraging results. These patients use to have very few symptoms, which is the reason for the delay in diagnosis and the poor prognosis. They frequently develop biliary obstruction： obstructive jaundice, right upper quadrant pain and weight loss. Ampullary carcinomas are frequently related to steatorrhea due to malabsorption. The most effective chemotherapy drugs used in monotherapy are 5FU （response rate 20%） and gemcitabine （response rate of 13%-60%）, so they have been selected for further development in multiple phase II clinical trials to explore their efficacy and safety in combination with other agents. In a phase III clinical trial, combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin has been selected as the schedule of choice. Target therapies are also being developed in this malignancy. The present work reviews the most current knowledge of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and natural history of biliary tract tumors. Further, review of surgery, current adjuvant treatment and therapies for unresectable and advanced disease is provided. The most recent understanding for target therapies and molecular biology is also summarized.

Pathophysiology after pancreaticoduodenectomy

Pancreaticoduodenectomy （PD） will result in removalof important multiorgans in upper intestinal tract andsubsequently secondary physiologic change. In thepast, surgeons just focused on the safety of surgicalprocedure; however, PD is regarded as safe and widelyapplied to treatment of periampullary lesions. Practicalissues after PD, such as, effect of duodenectomy,metabolic surgery-like effect, alignment effect ofgastrointestinal continuity, and non-alcoholic fatty liverdisease were summarized and discussed.

Liver metastases from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:is there a place for surgery in the modern era?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)represents one of the most aggressive malignancies,and the majority of patients with PDAC present with metastatic disease,mainly in the liver,at the time of diagnosis.Surgical resection is the only treatment that can offer prolonged survival and possible cure.However,the indications for surgery for patients with PDAC metastases remain extremely limited to highly selected patients with localized disease,and metastatic disease is generally regarded as a contraindication to surgery.Recently,however,the advent of more effective chemotherapy has changed the treatment strategy for metastatic PDAC.In fact,cases in which resection of synchronous or metachronous PDAC liver metastases lead to prolonged survival in highly selected patients have been reported.In this review,we provide current data regarding survival outcomes after surgery,and discuss the role of surgical resection and selection criteria for patients with PDAC liver metastases in the modern era.

Metal stent implantation for palliation of malignant biliary obstruction-a report of 57 cases

AIMS To report the first experience in China in the treatment of malignant biliary obstruction with expand- able metal stent which allows the insertion of an endo- prosthesis as large as one cm in diameter. METHODS Between April 1994 and May 1996,we implanted expandable metal stents in 57 patients with incurable malignant biliary obstruction,among whom 54 underwent endoscopic procedure and the other 3 re- ceived percutaneous transhepatic placement. RESULTS Insertion of the stent following guidewire positioning was successful in 95% of the patients. Two patients developed cholangitis after stent insertion and were successfully treated with conservative treatment. The jaundice was eliminated completely in 21 cases and markedly decreased in 23 cases within 2 weeks af- ter placement of the stent. Nine patients,however, had late cholangitis due to stent failure after a median interval of 14 days. Twenty-three cases underwent na- sobiliary transient drainage and 3 underwent plastic stent transient drainage prior to metal stent insertion. Transient drainage was believed to have the advan- tages of drainage pre-assessment and infection controlling. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that expandable metal stent is suitable for the irresectable malignant choledochal stenosis. It can eliminate the jaundice and improve the patient's life quality. To get the highest benefit,however,the indication should be strictly selected. And to get long-term patency,the proximal and distal end of the stent proceeding the tumor should be no shorter than 2cm. In the case of hilar cancer, Bismuth classification is greatly helpful for the choice of drainage site.

Hotspots and difficulties of biliary surgery in older patients

With the accelerated aging society in China,the incidence of biliary surgical diseases in the elderly has increased significantly.The clinical characteristics of these patients indicate that improving treatment outcomes and realizing healthy aging are worthy of attention.How to effectively improve the treatment effect of geriatric biliary surgical diseases has attracted widespread attention.This paper reviews and comments on the hotspots and difficulties of biliary surgery in older patients from six aspects:(1)higher morbidity associated with an aging society,(2)prevention and control of pre-operative risks,(3)extending the indications of laparoscopic surgery,(4)urgent standardization of minimally invasive surgery,(5)precise technological progress in hepatobiliary surgery,and(6)guarantee of peri-operative safety.It is of great significance to fully understand the focus of controversy,actively make use of its favorable factors,and effectively avoid its unfavorable factors,for further improving the therapeutic effects of geriatric biliary surgical diseases,and thus benefits the vast older patients with biliary surgical diseases.Accordingly,a historical record with the highest age of 93 years for laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration has been created by us recently.

Repair of a mal-repaired biliary injury:A case report

Iatrogenic bile-duct injury post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains a major serious complication with unpredictable long-term results. We present a patient who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones, in which the biliary injury was recognized intraoperatively. The surgical procedure was converted to an open one. The first surgeon repaired the injury over a T-tube without recognizing the anatomy and type of the biliary lesion, which led to an unusual biliary mal-repair. Immediately postoperatively, the abdominal drain brought a large amount of bile. A T-tube cholangiogram was performed. Despite the contrast medium leaking through the abdominal drain, the mal-repair was recognized intraoperatively. The surgical procedure was converted to an open one. The first surgeon repaired the injury over a T-tube without recognizing the anatomy and type of the biliary lesion, which led to an unusual biliary mal-repair. Immediately postoperatively, the abdominal drain brought a large amount of bile. A T-tube cholangiogram was performed. Despite the contrast medium leaking through the abdominal drain, the mal-repair was unrecognized. The patient was referred to our hospital for biliary leak. Ultrasound and cholangiography was repeated, which showed an unanatomical repair （right to left hepatic duct anastomosis over the T-tube）,with evidence of contrast medium coming out through the abdominal drain. Eventually the patient was subjected to a definitive surgical treatment. The biliary continuity was re-established by a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, over transanastomotic external biliary stents. The patient is now doing well 4 years after the second surgical procedure. In reviewing the literature, we found a similar type of injury but we did not find a similar surgical real-repair. We propose an algorithm for the treatment of early and late biliary injuries.