Validation of biological and clinical outcome between with and without thoracotomy in liver resection: a matched cohort study

Subcuticular Sutures Versus Staples for Wound Closure in Open Liver Resection: A Randomised Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Subcuticular sutures reduce wound complication rates only in clean surgeries. Repeat resection is frequently required in liver surgery, due to the high recurrence rate (30-50%) of liver cancers. The aim of this study is to assess that subcuticular sutures is superior to staples in liver surgery.

METHODS

This single-centre, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial was conducted at a university hospital between January 2015 and October 2018. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either subcuticular sutures or staples for skin closure. Three risk factors (repeat resection, diabetes mellitus and liver function) were matched preoperatively for equal allocation. The primary endpoint was the wound complication rate, while secondary endpoints were surgical site infection (SSI), duration of postoperative hospitalisation and total medical cost. Subset analyses were performed only for the 3 factors allocated as secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

Of the 581 enrolled patients, 281 patients with subcuticular sutures and 283 patients with staples were analysed. As the primary outcome, the wound complication rate with subcuticular sutures (12.5%) did not differ from that with staples [15.9%; odds ratio (OR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.83-2.15; p = 0.241]. As secondary outcomes, no significant differences were identified between the two procedures in the overall cohort while overall wound complications [7 patients (8.5%) vs. 17 patients (20.0%); OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.08-7.29; p = 0.035] with repeat incision were significantly less frequent with subcuticular sutures.

CONCLUSION

Subcuticular sutures were not shown to reduce wound complications compared to staples in open liver resection, but appear beneficial for repeat incisions.

Patients' prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma after resection

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are classified into one category, but comparison of prognosis of the two carcinomas remains controversial. The aim of the current study was to investigate surgical outcomes for patients with ICC or cHCC-CC who underwent resection in order to elucidate whether the classification of ICC and cHCC-CC is justified. Subjects were 61 patients with ICC and 29 patients with cHCC-CC who underwent liver resection from 2001 to 2017. Clinic-pathological data from the two groups were compared. Tumor number and vascular invasion were independent risk factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) in both groups (P < .001 for both). Of note, for patients with ICC, tumor cut-off size of 5 cm showed statistical significance in median RFS (>5 cm vs ≤5 cm, 0.5 years vs 4.0 years, P = .003). For patients with cHCC-CC, tumor cut-off size of 2 cm showed statistical significance in median RFS (>2 cm vs ≤2 cm, 0.6 years vs 2.6 years, P = .038). The median RFS of patients with cHCC-CC was 0.9 years (95% confidence interval: 0.3-1.6), which was poorer than that of patients with ICC (1.3 years, 0.5-2.1) (P = .028); the rate of RFS at 5 years was 0% and 37.7% respectively. Our study supports the concept of classifying ICC and cHCC-CC into different categories because of a significant difference in RFS between the two.

Neither ischemic parenchymal volume nor severe grade complication correlate transient high transaminase elevation after liver resection

To clarify whether high transient elevation of serum transaminase predicts severe complications and is related to the ischemic area on CT. Postoperative laboratory data and ischemia area on CT were analyzed on the basis of the presence of high transaminase elevation (aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 1,000 IU/L within postoperative day (POD) 2 after liver resection. In the high elevation group, volume of ischemic areas was assessed by CT on POD2. The 538 patients were divided into a high transaminase group (n = 51) and a control group (n = 487). Median operation time (527 min vs. 360 min, p < 0.01) and liver ischemia time (121 min vs. 70 min, p < 0.01) were significantly longer, and intraoperative blood loss (478 mL [85-1572 mL] vs. 269 mL [5-4491 mL], p < 0.01) was significantly greater in the high transaminase group. No significant differences observed in frequency of severe complications (Clavien-Dindo classification Grade III or more) or postoperative hospitalization. Operation time (> 500 min; odds ratio (OR), 4.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.40-9.89; p < 0.01) and liver ischemia time (> 120 min; OR, 3.47; 95%CI, 1.67-7.17; p < 0.01) were independent predictors of high transaminase elevation. No relationship was observed between degree of transaminase elevation and ischemic area (correlation coefficients: AST, R² < 0.001; alanine aminotransferase, R² = 0.005) CT volumetry on POD2. In conclusions, high transaminase elevations do not predict severe complications or reflect remnant ischemic area.

Prediction of vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma by next-generation des-r-carboxy prothrombin

BACKGROUND

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), des-r-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) more accurately reflects the malignant potential than alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Next-generation DCP (NX-DCP) was created to overcome some of the limitations of conventional DCP. This study assessed the predictive value of NX-DCP for vascular invasion in HCC.

METHODS

We prospectively studied 82 consecutive patients who were scheduled to undergo resection for HCC. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of pathological vascular invasion. The predictive powers of AFP, conventional DCP, and NX-DCP for vascular invasion were compared by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and correlations with tumour markers and the presence of vascular invasion were assessed.

RESULTS

Vascular invasion was pathologically confirmed in 21 patients (positive group) and absent in 61 patients (negative group). The NX-DCP level was significantly higher in the positive group than in the negative group (510.0 mAU ml(-1) (10-98 450) vs 34.0 mAU ml(-1) (12-541), P<0.0001), while the AFP level did not differ significantly between the groups (9.7 ng ml(-1) (1.6-43 960.0) vs 11.0 ng ml(-1) (1.6-1650.0), P=0.49). The area under the curve (AUC) of NX-DCP (AUC=0.813, sensitivity=71.4%, 1-specificity=13.1%) had good sensitivity for the prediction of vascular invasion, while the AUC of AFP was 0.550 (sensitivity=28.6%, 1-specificity=1.60%). The suitable cutoff value for identifying pathological vascular invasion in HCC was 33 mm (AUC: 0.783, sensitivity=71.43%, 1-specificity=11.48%).

CONCLUSIONS

The NX-DCP level can be used to predict the presence of vascular invasion in HCC.

Simultaneous lung resection via a transdiaphragmatic approach in patients undergoing liver resection for synchronous liver and lung metastases

BACKGROUND

For patients with synchronous liver and lung metastases from colorectal cancer, the invasiveness of adding thoracic to abdominal surgery is an obstacle to concurrent liver and lung metastasectomy. We developed a simple technique to resect lung lesions via a transdiaphragmatic approach without thoracic incision in patients undergoing liver metastasectomy.

METHODS

Sixteen patients with synchronous liver and unilateral lung metastases underwent transdiaphragmatic wedge resection of lung lesions simultaneous with liver metastasectomy. Short-term operative outcomes were compared with those in 102 patients treated with conventional unilateral wedge resection for colorectal lung metastases.

RESULTS

Twenty peripheral (<3 cm from the pleura) lung lesions from various locations in the lung were resected via transdiaphragmatic approach. No conversions to conventional approach were required. The median tumor number and size were 1 (range, 1-3) and 8 mm (range, 3-30 mm), respectively. Transdiaphragmatic resection reduced median operative blood loss compared with conventional resection (0 mL vs 50 mL [P < .001]) and reduced median duration of hospital stay compared with staged liver and lung resection (6 days vs 11 days [P < .001]). Operative duration and rates of lung-related morbidity and positive surgical margin were similar between the transdiaphragmatic and conventional groups (104 minutes vs 105 minutes [P = .61], 13% vs 4% [P = .15], and 6% vs 5% [P = .73], respectively).

CONCLUSION

Simultaneous transdiaphragmatic resection of peripheral lung lesions is safe in patients undergoing liver resection. The low-invasive transdiaphragmatic approach facilitates aggressive operative treatment for synchronous liver and lung metastases.