Enhanced recovery in liver surgery

Patient-reported outcomes after oncologic hepatic resection predict the risk of delayed readiness to return to intended oncologic therapy (RIOT)

BACKGROUND

Optimal surgical recovery is critical to readiness to return to intended oncologic therapy (RIOT). The current study defined the value of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in predicting the risk for delayed RIOT after oncologic hepatic resection.

METHODS

In a prospective longitudinal study, perioperative symptoms were assessed using a valid PRO assessment tool, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory module for hepatectomy perioperative care (MDASI-PeriOp-Hep), for 4 weeks after surgery. The timed up and go test (TUGT) was administered before surgery, by discharge day, and at the first postoperative follow-up visit. Multivariate logistic regression analysis assessed the predictive value of PROs for delayed RIOT.

RESULTS

We enrolled 210 patients and analyzed 148 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy and contributed more than 3 PRO assessments postoperatively. About 36 percent of the patients had delayed RIOT (>5 weeks, range 1-14 weeks). MDASI scores for drowsiness, fatigue, dry mouth, and interference with general activity, walking, and work on day 7 after discharge and MDASI scores for incisional tightness, fatigue, dry mouth, shortness of breath, and interference with work on day 14 after discharge were associated with delayed RIOT (all P < 0.05). Walking and general activity items on the MDASI-Interference subscale on day 7 after discharge were highly correlated with prolonged TUGT scores at discharge (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

We defined clinically meaningful PROs on MDASI-PeriOp-Hep after hepatic resection that predicted increased risk of delayed RIOT. These findings highlight the importance PROs for monitoring symptoms and functioning 1-2 weeks after discharge to be implementing into perioperative care.

Efficacy of prolonged intravenous lidocaine infusion for postoperative movement-evoked pain following hepatectomy: a double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The analgesic effect of intravenous lidocaine varies with the duration of lidocaine infusion and surgery type. We tested the hypothesis that prolonged lidocaine infusion alleviates postoperative pain in patients recovering from hepatectomy over the first 3 postoperative days.

METHODS

Patients undergoing elective hepatectomy were randomly assigned to receive prolonged i.v. lidocaine treatment or placebo. The primary outcome was incidence of moderate-to-severe movement-evoked pain at 24 h postoperatively. The secondary outcomes included incidence of moderate-to-severe pain during movement and at rest throughout the first 3 postoperative days, postoperative opioid consumption, and pulmonary complications. Plasma lidocaine concentration was also monitored.

RESULTS

We enrolled 260 subjects. Intravenous lidocaine lowered the incidence of moderate-to-severe movement-evoked pain at 24 h and 48 h postoperatively (47.7% vs 67.7%, P=0.001; 38.5% vs 58.5%, P=0.001) and reduced movement-evoked pain scores (3.7 [1.7] vs 4.2 [1.6]; mean difference 0.5 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.1-0.9]; P=0.018) and morphine equivalent consumption (47.2 [16.7] mg vs 52.6 [19.2] mg; mean difference 5.4 mg [95% CI: 1.0-9.8]; P=0.016) at 24 h postoperatively. Lidocaine also lowered the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (23.1% vs 38.5%; P=0.007). Median plasma lidocaine concentrations were 1.5, 1.9, and 1.1 μg ml^-1 (inter-quartile ranges: 1.1-2.1, 1.4-2.6, and 0.8-1.6, respectively) after bolus injection, at the end of the surgery, and 24 h postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged intravenous lidocaine infusion reduced the incidence of moderate-to-severe movement-evoked pain for 48 h after hepatectomy. However, the reduction in pain scores and opioid consumption by lidocaine was below the minimal clinically important difference.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT04295330.

No association of postoperative opioid usage with long-term surgery outcomes in patients with liver cancer: a population-based retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal cancer worldwide, and surgical resection remains the standard treatment. Postoperative opioid prescription has been believed to affect cancer recurrence through complex biological pathways. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database of Taiwan to evaluate the relationship between postoperative opioid use and long-term surgical outcomes of patients with HCC. This study had a retrospective cohort design. In total, 812 patients older than 20 years who underwent hepatectomy because of HCC were included. The exposure group comprised patients who used opioids during hospitalization postoperatively. The comparison group included those who never used opioids during hospitalization postoperatively. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the overall survival or recurrence-free survival rate between the opioid group and the nonopioid group. A total of 530 patients received opioids postoperatively and 282 patients did not. The hazard ratios of overall survival and recurrence-free survival were 1.10 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-1.41) and 1.15 (95% CI, 0.91-1.46), respectively. Total postoperative opioids were converted into oral morphine milligram equivalents and then divided into 3 equal subgroups: low dose, <40 mg; medium dose, 40 to 144 mg; and high dose, ≥145 mg. The hazard ratios of overall survival were 0.88 (95% CI, 0.63-1.24) for the low-dose group, 1.27 (95% CI, 0.92-1.74) for the medium-dose group, and 1.14 (95% CI, 0.83-1.58) for the high-dose group. Postoperative opioids do not affect overall and recurrence-free survival in patients undergoing hepatectomy or liver transplantation because of HCC. Cancer recurrence should not be a clinical concern regarding postoperative opioid prescription.

Subcostal transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia in liver transplant recipients: a before-and-after study

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative pain management after orthotopic liver transplantation is complex due to impaired liver function and frequent acute kidney dysfunction. Subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block may be of interest in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of subcostal TAP block on opioid consumption after liver transplantation.

METHODS

We conducted a before-and-after single center study. During the first period, we included patients whom did not receive an analgesic TAP block. During the second period, we included those with bilateral ultrasound-guided subcostal TAP block (20 mL ropivacaïne 0.2% each side). Patients requiring sedation within 48 hours of surgery as well as patients with combined liver and kidney transplants or skin-only closures were excluded. The primary outcome was cumulative oral morphine consumption within 48 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and TAP block-related complications.

RESULTS

A total of 132 patients were included in the non-TAP block group and 78 patients in the TAP block group. The median oral morphine equivalent consumption (IQR) within 48 hours following surgery was 74 mg (39; 112) for the non-TAP block group and 50 mg (20; 80) for the TAP block group (p<0.001). There was no difference in pain scores between the two groups. No complications related to the TAP block were reported.

CONCLUSION

Subcostal TAP block appears to have a small opioid reducing effect after orthotopic liver transplantation surgery.

Prehabilitation for Older Adults Undergoing Liver Resection: Getting Patients and Surgeons Up to Speed

OBJECTIVES

Morbidity rates following liver resection are high, especially among older adult patients. This review aims to evaluate the evidence surrounding prehabilitation in older patients anticipating liver resection and to describe how prehabilitation may be implemented.

DESIGN

Problem-based narrative review with case-based discussion.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

All older adults anticipating liver resection inclusive of benign and malignant etiologies in the United States.

METHODS

Literature search was performed using MeSH terms and keywords in MEDLINE via PubMed, followed by a manual second search for relevant references within selected articles. Articles were excluded if not available in the English language or did not include patients undergoing hepatectomy.

RESULTS

Prehabilitation includes a range of activities including exercise, nutrition/dietary changes, and psychosocial interventions that may occur from several weeks to days preceding a surgical operation. Older adult patients who participate in prehabilitation may experience improvement in preoperative candidacy as well as improved postoperative quality of life and faster return to baseline; however, evidence supporting a reduction in postoperative length of stay and perioperative morbidity and mortality is conflicting. A variety of modalities are available for prehabilitation but lack consensus and standardization. For a provider desiring to prescribe prehabilitation, multidisciplinary assessments including geriatric, cardiopulmonary, and future remnant liver function can help determine individual patient needs and select appropriate interventions.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

In the older adult patient undergoing liver resection, the current body of literature suggests promising benefits of prehabilitation programs inclusive of functional assessment as well as multimodal interventions. Additional research is needed to determine best practices.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Hepato-Biliopancreatic Surgery—A Systematic Review

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most important determinants of morbidity after HBP surgery. Their frequency after HPB surgery is variable, from 1–2% after elective cholecystectomy to 25% after PD. Methods: A systematic review was performed to assess the role of antimicrobial prophylaxis (AP) in HPB elective surgery. Articles published between 2015 and 2021 were obtained; those before 2015 were not included because they antedate the WHO guidelines on SSI prevention. We conducted three different research methods for liver resection, elective cholecystectomy and pancreatic and biliary surgery regarding patients requiring preoperative biliary drainage. Results: Hepatic surgery, improvement in surgical technique and perioperative management lead to a very low SSI. One preoperative 2 g cefazolin dose may be adequate for surgical prophylaxis. From preoperative biliary drainage, we can derive that patients’ homeostasis rather than AP plays a paramount role in reducing postoperative morbidity. The time from biliary drainage could be an essential element in decision making for surgical prophylaxis. In the case of low-risk cholecystectomy, it is not easy to draw definitive conclusions about the effect of AP. Data from the literature are inconsistent, and some risk factors cannot be predicted before surgery. Conclusion: in our opinion, a strict preoperative cefazolin dose strategy can be reasonable in HBP surgery until a large-scale, multicentric RCT brings definitive conclusions.

[Background, Necessity and Methodology of the S3 Guideline "Perioperative Management of Gastrointestinal Tumours (POMGAT)"]

Malignancies are among the most common diseases, especially in old age, and are responsible for 25% of all deaths in Germany. Especially carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract can be cured in most cases only through extensive surgery with significant morbidity. About 25 years ago, the multimodal, perioperative Fast Track (FT) concept for reducing postoperative complications was introduced and additional elements were added in the following years. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that adherence to the key elements of more than 70% leads to reduction in postoperative adverse events as well as a shorter hospital stay and could be associated with an improved oncological outcome. Despite the high level of awareness and the proven advantages of the FT concept, the implementation and maintenance of the measures is difficult and results in an adherence of only 20 - 40%. There are many reasons for this: In addition to a lack of interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation and the time consuming and extended logistical efforts, limited human resources are often listed as one of the main causes. We took these aspects as an opportunity and started to develop a S3 guideline for perioperative treatment to accelerate the recovery of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. By creating a consensus- and evidence-based, multidisciplinary guideline, many of the problems listed above could probably be solved by optimising and standardising interdisciplinary care, which is particularly important in a setting with many different disciplines and their competing interests. Furthermore, the standardisation of the perioperative procedures will reduce the time and logistical effort. The presentation of the evidence allows increased transparency and justifies the additional personnel expenditure on hospital medicine and health insurance companies. In addition, the evidence-based quality indicators generated during the development of the guideline make it possible to include perioperative standards in certification systems and thus to measure and check the quality of perioperative care.

Pain management after open liver resection: Procedure-Specific Postoperative Pain Management (PROSPECT) recommendations

Background and objectives

Effective pain control improves postoperative rehabilitation and enhances recovery. The aim of this review was to evaluate the available evidence and to develop recommendations for optimal pain management after open liver resection using Procedure-Specific Postoperative Pain Management (PROSPECT) methodology.

Strategy and selection criteria

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the English language from January 2010 to October 2019 assessing pain after liver resection using analgesic, anesthetic or surgical interventions were identified from MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases.

Results

Of 121 eligible studies identified, 31 RCTs and 3 systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Preoperative and intraoperative interventions that improved postoperative pain relief were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, continuous thoracic epidural analgesia, and subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks. Limited procedure-specific evidence was found for intravenous dexmedetomidine, intravenous magnesium, intrathecal morphine, quadratus lumborum blocks, paravertebral nerve blocks, continuous local anesthetic wound infiltration and postoperative interpleural local anesthesia. No evidence was found for intravenous lidocaine, ketamine, dexamethasone and gabapentinoids.

Conclusions

Based on the results of this review, we suggest an analgesic strategy for open liver resection, including acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, combined with thoracic epidural analgesia or bilateral oblique subcostal TAP blocks. Systemic opioids should be considered as rescue analgesics. Further high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm and clarify the efficacy of the recommended analgesic regimen in the context of an enhanced recovery program.