Near-infrared cholangiography with intragallbladder indocyanine green injection in minimally invasive cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy(LC)remains one of the most commonly performed procedures in adult and paediatric populations.Despite the advances made in intraoperative biliary anatomy recognition,iatrogenic bile duct injuries during LC represent a fatal complication and consist an economic burden for healthcare systems.A series of methods have been proposed to prevent bile duct injury,among them the use of indocyanine green(ICG)fluorescence.The most commonly reported method of ICG injection is the intravenous administration,while literature is lacking studies investigating the direct intragallbladder ICG injection.This narrative mini-review aims to assess the potential applications,usefulness,and limitations of intragallbladder ICG fluorescence in LC.Authors screened the available international literature to identify the reports of intragallbladder ICG fluorescence imaging in minimally invasive cholecystectomy,as well as special issues regarding its use.Literature search retrieved four prospective cohort studies,three case-control studies,and one case report.In the three case-control studies selected,intragallbladder near-infrared cholangiography(NIRC)was compared with standard LC under white light,with intravenous administration of ICG for NIRC and with standard intraoperative cholangiography(IOC).In total,133 patients reported in the literature have been administered intragallbladder ICG administration for biliary mapping during LC.Literature includes several reports of intragallbladder ICG administration,but a standardized technique has not been established yet.Published data suggest that NIRC with intragallbladder ICG injection is a promising method to achieve biliary mapping,overwhelming limitations of IOC including intervention and radiation exposure,as well as the high hepatic parenchyma signal and time interval needed in intravenous ICG fluorescence.Evidence-based guidelines on the role of intragallbladder ICG fluorescence in LC require the assessment of further studies and multicenter data collection into large registries.

Extrahepatic right portal vein ligation allows parenchyma-sparing en bloc resection of segments 7, 8 and 4a for liver tumors engaging the right and middle hepatic veins

Right trisectionectomy for posterior liver tumors engaging the right and middle hepatic veins may lead to post-hepatectomy liver failure if the anticipated liver remnant is small. In such patients we developed a parenchymasparing one-step approach, that includes extrahepatic right portal vein ligation accompanied by en bloc resection only of segments 7, 8 and 4a and resection of the right and middle hepatic veins. The technique was applied in 3 patients with normal liver function, where according to the preoperative computed tomography the volume of segments 1, 2 and 3 ranged between 17% and 20% of the total liver volume. In all patients liver biochemistry improved rapidly postoperatively and a doubling of volume of segments 1, 2 and 3 was achieved by the third postoperative week, as extrahepatic right portal vein ligation ameliorated reperfusion injury of the remaining segments 5 and 6 and induced hypertrophy of segments 1, 2, 3 and 4b. There was no mortality or long-term complications.Patients are alive and free of disease 74, 50 and 17 months after the operation, respectively. We propose that the term ＂extended upper right sectionectomy＂ may be considered for the en bloc resection of segments 7, 8 and 4a, in future revisions ofthe Brisbane 2000 terminology of hepatic anatomy and resections.

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma:An update on epidemiology,classification,diagnosis and management

Background:Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma(CHC)is a rare subtype of primary hepatic malignancies,with variably reported incidence between 0.4%–14.2%of primary liver cancer cases.This study aimed to systematically review the epidemiological,clinicopathological,diagnostic and therapeutic data for this rare entity.Data sources:We reviewed the literature of diagnostic approach of CHC with special reference to its clinical,molecular and histopathological characteristics.Additional analysis of the recent literature in order to evaluate the results of surgical and systemic treatment of this entity has been accomplished.Results:The median age at CHC’s diagnosis appears to be between 50 and 75 years.Evaluation of tumor markers[alpha fetoprotein(AFP),carbohydrate antigen 19–9(CA19–9)and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)]along with imaging patterns provides better opportunities for CHC’s preoperative diagnosis.Reported clinicopathologic prognostic parameters possibly correlated with increased tumor recurrence and grimmer survival odds include advanced age,tumor size,nodal and distal metastases,vascular and regional organ invasion,multifocality,decreased capsule formation,stem-cell features verification and increased GGT as well as CA19–9 and CEA levels.In case of inoperable or recurrent disease,combinations of cholangiocarcinoma-directed systemic agents display superior results over sorafenib.Liver-directed methods,such as transarterial chemoembolization(TACE),percutaneous ethanol injection(PEI),hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy(HAIC),radioembolization and ablative therapies,demonstrate inferior efficacy than in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)due to CHC’s common hypovascularity.Conclusions:CHC demonstrates an overlapping clinical and biological pattern between its malignant ingredients.Natural history of the disease seems to be determined by the predominant tumor element.Gold standard for diagnosis is histology of surgical specimens.Regarding therapeutic interventions,major hepatectomy is acknowledged as the cornerstone of treatment whereas minor hepatectomy and liver transplantation may be applied in patients with advanced cirrhosis.Despite all therapeutic attempts,prognosis of CHC remains dismal.

Metalloproteinase expression after desflurane preconditioning in hepatectomies:A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND Hepatectomy with inflow occlusion results in ischemia-reperfusion injury;however,pharmacological preconditioning can prevent such injury and optimize the postoperative recovery of hepatectomized patients.The normal inflammatory response after a hepatectomy involves increased expression of metalloproteinases,which may signal pathologic hepatic tissue reformation.AIM To investigate the effect of desflurane preconditioning on these inflammatory indices in patients with inflow occlusion undergoing hepatectomy.METHODS This is a single-center,prospective,randomized controlled trial conducted at the 4th Department of Surgery of the Medical School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,between August 2016 and December 2017.Forty-six patients were randomized to either the desflurane treatment group for pharmacological preconditioning(by replacement of propofol with desflurane,administered 30 min before induction of ischemia)or the control group for standard intravenous propofol.The primary endpoint of expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors was determined preoperatively and at 30 min posthepatic reperfusion.The secondary endpoints of neutrophil infiltration,coagulation profile,activity of antithrombin III(AT III),protein C(PC),protein S and biochemical markers of liver function were determined for 5 d postoperatively and compared between the groups.RESULTS The desflurane treatment group showed significantly increased levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 and 2,significantly decreased levels of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9,decreased neutrophil infiltration,and less profound changes in the coagulation profile.During the 5-d postoperative period,all patients showed significantly decreased activity of AT III,PC and protein S(vs baseline values,P<0.05).The activity of AT III and PC differed significantly between the two groups from postoperative day 1 to postoperative day 5(P<0.05),showing a moderate drop in activity of AT III and PC in the desflurane treatment group and a dramatic drop in the control group.Compared to the control group,the desflurane treatment group also had significantly lower international normalized ratio values on all postoperative days(P<0.005)and lower serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase values on postoperative days 2 and 3(P<0.05).Total length of stay was significantly less in the desflurane group(P=0.009).CONCLUSION Desflurane preconditioning can lessen the inflammatory response related to ischemia-reperfusion injury and may shorten length of hospitalization.