Clinical outcomes of ERCP-related retroperitoneal perforations

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related perforations represent rare but often severe conditions. While lesions with intraperitoneal perforation have an almost imperative indication to surgery, whether or not to manage retroperitoneal perforations surgically is still an area of debate. The aim of the present work was to review the available clinical evidence on the operatively and medically treated ERCP-related retroperitoneal perforations. From MEDLINE/PubMed databases 137 patients with retroperitoneal perforation were included from 12 studies that met the selection criteria for data investigation and analysis. Twenty-four patients were treated by prompt surgery; 113 were primarily managed conservatively and about 20% of these patients required surgery subsequently. Overall, the morbidity and mortality were 15.4% and 6.6%, respectively. Although most patients with retroperitoneal perforation may benefit from a non-operative management, a considerable number of patients fail to respond to medical treatment and require surgery afterwards. Identifying those patients who are at highest risk of poor outcome after conservative treatment should be considered a research priority.

An update on liver surgery for cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant neoplasm that originates from biliary epithelial cells. Complete tumor resection remains the most effective treatment of intra-hepatic or perihilar cholangiocarcinomas (PHCs). The objectives of this are to update and discuss methods that are likely to increase the resectability of cholangiocarcinomas, and to define the limits beyond which the risks of the treatments outweigh their benefits. We analyzed intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinomas and PHCs separately to determine the site of origin and the resectability of the tumor. We discussed the site at which to perform hepatic optimization prior to surgery, and whether liver transplantation might affect cholangiocarcinoma treatment.

Impact of Tumor Size on the Difficulty of Laparoscopic Major Hepatectomies: An International Multicenter Study

INTRODUCTION

Although tumor size (TS) is known to affect surgical outcomes in laparoscopic liver resection (LLR), its impact on laparoscopic major hepatectomy (L-MH) is not well studied. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of TS on the perioperative outcomes of L-MH and to elucidate the optimal TS cutoff for stratifying the difficulty of L-MH.

METHODS

This was a post-hoc analysis of 3008 patients who underwent L-MH at 48 international centers. A total 1396 patients met study criteria and were included. The impact of TS cutoffs was investigated by stratifying TS at each 10-mm interval. The optimal cutoffs were determined taking into consideration the number of endpoints which showed a statistically significant split around the cut-points of interest and the magnitude of relative risk after correction for multiple risk factors.

RESULTS

We identified 2 optimal TS cutoffs, 50 mm and 100 mm, which segregated L-MH into 3 groups. An increasing TS across these 3 groups (≤ 50 mm, 51-100 mm, > 100 mm), was significantly associated with a higher open conversion rate (11.2%, 14.7%, 23.0%, P < 0.001), longer operating time (median, 340 min, 346 min, 365 min, P = 0.025), increased blood loss (median, 300 ml,  ml, 400 ml, P = 0.002) and higher rate of intraoperative blood transfusion (13.1%, 15.9%, 27.6%, P < 0.001). Postoperative outcomes such as overall morbidity, major morbidity, and length of stay were comparable across the three groups.

CONCLUSION

Increasing TS was associated with poorer intraoperative but not postoperative outcomes after L-MH. We determined 2 TS cutoffs (50 mm and 10 mm) which could optimally stratify the surgical difficulty of L-MH.

Portal vein arterialization following a radical left extended hepatectomy for Klatskin tumor: A case report

Portal vein arterialization (PVA) has been attracting attention for its role as a salvage inflow technique in various clinical applications. Initially performed in shunt surgery for portal hypertension, with the aim of preventing a decreased hepatic inflow, it is largely used in case of hepatic artery thrombosis in the transplantation domain or in the enlarged radical operations in case of hilar cancer invading the hepatic artery. A 62-year-old man underwent a left extended hepatectomy with hepatic bile duct resection and right Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Computed tomography scan on postoperative day (POD) 5 revealed right hepatic artery pseudo-aneurysm, which was confirmed by an angiography. Stent placement was infeasible. Coiling of the pseudoaneurysm was associated with a risk of complete occlusion inducing critical liver failure. Since his general conditions were deteriorated, the patient underwent an emergency laparotomy. Hepatic artery reconstruction was impossible. Thus, a PVA was performed by anastomosing the ileocecal artery and vein. The intraoperative ultrasound showed satisfactory patency of the PVA with good portal flow in the absence of arterial flow. Doppler ultrasound on POD 15 showed that the cross-sectional area and blood flow of the portal vein were increased. The patient was discharged on POD 54 in good general condition. Hepatic artery disruption represents potentially lethal complications of hepatic, biliary, and pancreatic surgery. PVA may be a feasible therapeutic strategy to guarantee arterial inflow to the remnant liver. Although PVA is a salvage surgical procedure, increased portal flow should be controlled to avoid portal hypertension and liver fibrosis.

Advanced donor age does not increase risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation: a retrospective two-centre analysis using competing risk analysis

The impact of donor age on the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation is still debated. Between 2002 and 2014, all patients transplanted for HCC in 2 European liver transplantation tertiary centres were retrospectively reviewed. Risk factors for HCC recurrence were assessed using competing risk analysis, and the impact of donor age < or ≥65 years and < or ≥80 years was specifically evaluated after propensity score matching. 728 patients transplanted with a median follow-up of 86 months were analysed. The 1-, 3- and 5-year recurrence rates were 4.9%, 10.7% and 13.9%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, recipient age (sHR: 0.96 [0.93; 0.98], P < 0.01), number of lesions (sHR: 1.05 [1.04; 1.06], P < 0.001), maximum size of the lesions (sHR: 1.37 [1.27; 1.48], P < 0.01), presence of a hepatocholangiocarcinoma (sHR: 6.47 [2.91; 14.38], P < 0.01) and microvascular invasion (sHR: 3.48 [2.42; 5.02], P < 0.01) were significantly associated with HCC recurrence. After propensity score matching, neither donor age ≥65 (P = 0.29) nor donor age ≥80 (P = 0.84) years increased the risk of HCC recurrence. In conclusion, donor age was not found to be a risk factor for HCC recurrence. Patients listed for HCC can receive a graft from an elderly donor without compromising the outcome.

Laparoscopic right hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patient

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide and the most common primary liver cancer. Liver resection or liver transplantation is the therapeutic gold standards in patient with HCC related with or without underline liver disease. We present a video case of a 68-year-old woman admitted to our surgical and liver transplantation unit for HCC on liver segment VII. Patient has HCV cirrhosis. Patient underwent to previous right portal vein embolization. Model of end staged liver disease was 7. Body mass index (BMI) was 26.3 and ASA score was 2. Alpha-fetoprotein was 768. According with our multidisciplinary group, we suggest a laparoscopic right hepatectomy for the patient. Operation time was 343 min and blood loss estimation was 200 CC. No transfusion was required. Post-operative course was uneventful, grade 0 of Clavien-Dindo Classification. Patient was discharged in day 7. Pathology report describes a 17 mm × 15 mm HCC grade 4, pT2N0. Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for HCC should be performed by dedicated surgical teams in hepatobiliary and laparoscopic surgery. The use of LLR in cirrhotic patients is in many centers proposed as the first-line treatment for HCC or as bridge treatment before liver transplantation.

Successful Orthotopic Liver Transplant for Diffuse Biliary Papillomatosis With Malignant Transformation: A Case Report With Long-Term Follow-Up

In patients with biliary papillomatosis, complete resection of the biliary tree (that is, liver transplant along with duodenocephalo-pancreatectomy) is considered the only potential curative treatment, given its diffuse pattern and likelihood of malignant transformation. Nevertheless, such a combined surgical approach can increase patient morbidity and mortality and should be considered only when the distal part of the common bile duct is involved. Here, we avoided duodenocephalo-pancreatectomy in a patient with distal common bile duct free from disease; this approach did not negatively influence survival and appeared to be safer during liver transplant.

Transplantation of a Severely Traumatized Liver During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Shortages of grafts for liver transplant remain a persistent problem. The use of lacerated livers for liver transplant can add an option for extended criteria donations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We present the case of a successful liver transplant performed using a high-grade lacerated liver previously treated with superselective arterial embolization and packing for bleeding control. In view of the absence of guidelines for the use of lacerated livers for transplant, we also performed a review of the literature on injured liver grafts that were used for liver transplants. Meticulous care and careful selection of recipients were essential prerequisites for achieving successful outcomes.

Cystic presentation of a renal medullary carcinoma in a young woman

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare tumor, originating in the epithelial papillary cells, that primarily affects young black men with sickle cell trait. We report the case of a 29-year-old Caucasian woman, who at ultrasound showed a cystic mass at the right kidney, with a vascular pattern at the level of the cystic wall. A CT-guided biopsy of the lesion was performed, revealing the presence of unspecified tumor cells. A total nephrectomy was then performed. Microscopically, a tumor resulting from the epithelial papillary cells was observed; several areas of lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates were seen at the junction between the normal kidney tissue and the tumor, and a renal medullary carcinoma was diagnosed. Six months later, the patient developed multiple pulmonary metastases and started chemotherapy with Carboplatin, Paclitaxel and Gemcitabine. The patient died after 27 months of follow-up.RMC is a tumor that usually occurs in young black men, at an average age of 25 years with extremes of 11 and 39 years. Sickle-cell disease or sickle-cell trait is often present. The longest documented survival (until now) for RMC was 16 months. The best treatment is surgery with enlarged nephrectomy. There are still no appropriate chemotherapy protocols.

Reporting guidelines for surgical technique could be improved: a scoping review and a call for action

OBJECTIVES

To identify reporting guidelines related to surgical technique and propose recommendations for areas that require improvement.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

A protocol-guided scoping review was conducted. A literature search of MEDLINE, the EQUATOR Network Library, Google Scholar, and Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations was conducted to identify surgical technique reporting guidelines published up to December 31, 2021.

RESULTS

We finally included 55 surgical technique reporting guidelines, vascular surgery (n = 18, 32.7%) was the most common among the clinical specialties covered. The included guidelines generally showed a low degree of international and multidisciplinary cooperation. Few guidelines provided a detailed development process (n = 14, 25.5%), conducted a systematic literature review (n = 13, 23.6%), used the Delphi method (n = 4, 7.3%), or described post-publication strategy (n = 6, 10.9%). The vast majority guidelines focused on the reporting of intraoperative period (n = 50, 90.9%). However, of the guidelines requiring detailed descriptions of surgical technique methodology (n = 43, 78.2%), most failed to provide guidance on what constitutes an adequate description.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates significant deficiencies in the development methodology and practicality of reporting guidelines for surgical technique. A standardized reporting guideline that is developed rigorously and focuses on details of surgical technique may serve as a necessary impetus for change.

Impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the difficulty and outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic major liver resections for colorectal liver metastases: A propensity-score and coarsened exact-matched controlled study

BACKGROUND

Minimal invasive liver resections are a safe alternative to open surgery. Different scoring systems considering different risks factors have been developed to predict the risks associated with these procedures, especially challenging major liver resections (MLR). However, the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAT) on the difficulty of minimally invasive MLRs remains poorly investigated.

METHODS

Patients who underwent laparoscopic and robotic MLRs for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) performed across 57 centers between January 2005 to December 2021 were included in this analysis. Patients who did or did not receive NAT were matched based on 1:1 coarsened exact and 1:2 propensity-score matching. Pre- and post-matching comparisons were performed.

RESULTS

In total, the data of 5189 patients were reviewed. Of these, 1411 procedures were performed for CRLM, and 1061 cases met the inclusion criteria. After excluding 27 cases with missing data on NAT, 1034 patients (NAT: n = 641; non-NAT: n = 393) were included. Before matching, baseline characteristics were vastly different. Before matching, the morbidity rate was significantly higher in the NAT-group (33.2% vs. 27.2%, p-value = 0.043). No significant differences were seen in perioperative outcomes after the coarsened exact matching. After the propensity-score matching, statistically significant higher blood loss (mean, 300 (SD 128-596) vs. 250 (SD 100-400) ml, p-value = 0.047) but shorter hospital stay (mean, 6 [4-8] vs. 6 [5-9] days, p-value = 0.043) were found in the NAT-group.

CONCLUSION

The current study demonstrated that NAT had minimal impact on the difficulty and outcomes of minimally-invasive MLR for CRLM.

Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for bleeding hepatocellular carcinoma in HBV cirrhosis: a safety strategy

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) spontaneous tumor rupture varies between 3% and 26%. For resectable HCC ruptures, emergency hepatectomy or staged hepatectomy after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) are life-saving procedures, and efficient therapeutic methods. We report a multimodal therapy including TAE, associating liver partition and portal vein ligation (ALPPS) and immunoglobuline infusion for a huge bleeding HCC with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) in hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis. ALPPS first step began with an abdominal toilette due to the massive hemoperitoneum and a portal vein incision at the bifurcation of the right and left portal veins was performed. A freely floating left part of the thrombus was extracted from the left portal vein in order to restore the left portal vein. The right portal vein with complete thrombosis was closed. Liver partition was then performed. The second step was performed without complications. A HCC Edmondson grade 4 (pT3b) and a cirrhotic liver parenchyma were described. Postoperative ascites decompensation was treated and patient was discharged in postoperative day 21. The reported triple strategy allowed us to prolong patient live. A multimodal therapy including TAE, ALPPS and immunoglobuline is a good option for a life treatment in case of huge bleeding hepatocellular carcinoma with PVTT in HBV cirrhosis.