Is radical surgery feasible in liver hydatid cysts in contact with the inferior vena cava?

Turkish HPB Surgery Association consensus report on hepatic cystic Echinococcosis (HCE)

OBJECTIVES

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is one of the important problems of the Eurasian region. We aimed to prepare a consensus report in order to update the treatment approaches of this disease. This study was conducted by Turkish HPB Surgery Association.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This study was conducted with the modified Delphi model. For this purpose, we conducted a three-stage consensus-building approach.

RESULTS

Six topics, including diagnosis, medical treatment, percutaneous treatment, surgical treatment, management of complications and posttreatment follow-up and recurrences in HCE were discussed.

CONCLUSION

The expert panel made recommendations for every topic.

Liver and lung hydatid cysts with transdiaphragmatic rupture treated by radical surgery

Hydatidosis is a parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus, a tapeworm that is endemic in certain parts of the world. We present a case of hepatopulmonary hydatidosis with diaphragm involvement and close contact with the suprahepatic inferior vena cava treated with radical surgery. We discuss therapeutical surgical options (approach and type of surgery).

Laparoscopic Treatment in Children with Hydatid Cyst of the Liver

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus on the surgical treatment of children with hydatid cyst of the liver (HCL). We evaluated the outcomes of laparoscopic and open surgery for childhood HCL.

METHODS

We performed 81 open surgery and laparoscopic procedures in 37 (45.7%) boys and 44 (54.3%) girls with HCL (mean age 9.3 ± 2.1 years) who were assigned to a main group (laparoscopy, n = 21) and a control group (open surgery, n = 60). Clinical assessments, surgical durations, complications, and postoperative outcomes were investigated. Cyst types in the two groups were I (Gharbi)/CE 1 (WHO-IWGE), 71.4 and 58.3%, respectively; II/CE 2, 19.1 and 25.0%, respectively; and III/CE 3, 9.5 and 16.7%, respectively. The parasitic hydatid cysts were located mostly in the right liver lobe in both the main and control groups (90.4 and 80.0%, respectively).

RESULTS

Hospital stays were significantly (p < 0.05) longer in patients in the control group (12.1 ± 1.5 vs. 5.6 ± 2.2 days). Operation time was significantly (p < 0.01) shorter for the main group (90.1 ± 7.8 vs. 120.6 ± 5.3 min). Local complications (residual cavity infection, biliary fistula) occurred in 21.6% of patients in the control group and 14.3% in the main group. Each was treated, and none recurred. There were no apparent systemic complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic surgical treatment for children with HCL is safe in compliance with all classic open surgery principles. The laparoscopic technique offered a shorter duration of the surgical effects and markedly fewer postoperative complications.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the treatment of liver hydatid cyst: Comparing laparoscopic and open surgeries

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

There is an academic debate regarding surgical interventions for liver hydatid cyst disease. The purpose of the current systematic review and meta-analysis study was to analyse the pros and cons of open surgery and laparoscopic techniques, considering the outcomes of liver hydatid cysts.

METHODS

Descriptive Boolean queries were used to search PubMed and Scopus for articles published between January 2000 and December 2016 to evaluate the outcomes of liver hydatid cyst in terms of mortality, post-operative complications, cure rate and recurrences. The data related to the four outcomes of liver hydatid cyst were extracted, assessed and then used as their corresponding effect sizes in the meta-analysis process.

RESULTS

Six studies totally consisting of 1028 patients [open surgery group=816 (+7 converted to lap) and laparoscopic group=212] were analysed. In this meta-analysis study, random effects models of outcomes (i.e. post-operative complications, mortalities, recurrences and cure rate) of the two procedures were OR=0.852, LL=0.469, UL=1.546, Z=-0.526, p=0.599 (for post-operative complications); OR=0.849, LL=0.141, UL=5.105, Z=-0.179, p=0.858 (for mortality); OR=0.903, LL=0.166, UL=4.906, Z=-0.119, p=0.906 (for recurrence); and OR=0.459, LL=0.129, UL=1.637, Z=-1.201, p=0.230 (for cure rate). Meta-analysis and illustrated forest plots showed that there are no superiorities between the two approaches. The results of heterogeneity tests of the above mentioned outcomes were Q=8.083, df=5, p=0.152, I²=38.142% for post-operative complications; Q=0.127, df=2, p=0.938, I²=0% for mortality; Q=4.984, df=2, p=0.083, I²=59.874% for recurrence; and Q=10.639, df=5, p=0.059, I²=53.001% for cure rate. The results of regression tests based on Egger's, smoothed variance based on Egger (SVE) and smoothed variance based on Thomson (SVT) showed that the p values are not significant, and there are neither significant statistical differences nor publication bias between the outcomes of the two treatment procedures.

CONCLUSION

The results show no promising trends towards advantages of open versus laparoscopic surgeries in the treatment of liver hydatid cyst. However, informative measurement values for comparing these surgeries could be derived for complications, recurrence, mortality and cure rates. Furthermore, all three tests, namely Egger's, SVE and SVT regression models, were used to assess publication bias and showed no evidence for the existence of publication bias.

Percutaneous drainage as a first therapeutic step prior to surgery in liver hydatid cyst abscess: Is it worth it?

AIM

To delay surgery until the patient is in a better condition, and thus to decrease postoperative morbidity.

METHODS

Using this algorithm we treated three patients aged 55, 75 and 80 years. In all three patients the clinical presentation was fever without a clear source of infection; all had nonspecific symptoms such as general malaise, dyspnea, and abdominal discomfort in the previous 15 d. They came to the emergency room at our hospital due to deterioration of their general condition. Analytical tests showed leukocytosis, neutrophilia and increased polymerase chain reaction. In all cases an abdominal computed tomography (CT) was performed and liver hydatid abscess (LHA) was detected. The mean size of the LHA was 12 cm.

RESULTS

All patients underwent CT-guided percutaneous drainage. The purulent material obtained was cultured, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus viridans and Streptococcus salivarius were identified. Antibiotic treatment was given adapted to antibiotic sensitivity testing. Surgery was performed two weeks after admission, once the patient’s condition had improved. All three patients underwent an almost total cystectomy, cholecystectomy and omentoplasty in the residual cavity. Complications were: Clavien I (atelectasis and pleural effusion) and Clavien II (transfusion). The average length of stay (pre and postoperative) was 23 d. At the follow-up, no relapses were recorded.

CONCLUSION

LHA management is not standardized. Emergency surgery offers suboptimal results. Percutaneous drainage plus antibiotics allows improving patient’s general condition. This enables treating patients in greater safety and also reduces complications.