Evaluation of cholecystic venous flow using indocyanine green fluorescence angiography

Use of indocyanine green-human serum albumin complexes in fluorescence image-guided laparoscopic anatomical liver resection: a case series study (with video)

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of near-infrared fluorescence-guided laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy (LAH) using a novel indocyanine green (ICG)-human serum albumin complex (HSA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

Clinical data of hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent ICG-HSA fluorescence-guided LAH at our center from January 2024 to April 2024 were prospectively collected and analyzed. Ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy was used to test the absorption and stability of ICG-HSA complex solutions under different conditions. After determining the optimal ratio, the complex was administered intravenously during surgery to perform negative staining via Glissonean pedicle isolation. LAH was performed along the fluorescence-demarcated boundaries.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients were included (24 men; mean age, 54.61 ± 13.54 years). The median maximum tumor diameter was 2.80 (interquartile range [IQR], 2.00-4.00) cm. S8 segmentectomy (22.6%) and right posterior segmentectomy (19.4%) were the most common resections performed. Successful fluorescence negative staining was achieved in all patients using ICG and HSA at a 1:6 molar ratio at room temperature. Mean operation time was 297.58 ± 85.53 min, Median intraoperative blood loss was 100.0 mL (IQR, 50.0-200.0). The median surgical margin distance was 0.90 cm (IQR, 0.40-1.50). The postoperative complication rate was 45.2% (35.5% Clavien-Dindo grade I and 9.7% grade II). The median length of hospital stay was 5.0 days (IQR, 4.0-5.0).

CONCLUSION

ICG-HSA-assisted LAH is safe and feasible. Compared with free ICG, the novel ICG-HSA complex exhibits better optical properties and in vivo stability, which can improve the accuracy of intraoperative liver segment localization and optimize the anatomical dissection plane. It has the potential to become an ideal fluorescent imaging agent for anatomical hepatectomy.

Usefulness of indocyanine green angiography in the intraoperative evaluation of recipient vessels for microsurgical lower extremity reconstruction in ischemic vasculopathy: Report of three cases

Choosing reliable recipient vessels is crucial for successful free flap reconstruction of lower extremity defects, especially in patients with ischemic vasculopathy. This report describes our experience with the intraoperative use of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) for selecting recipient vessels in lower extremity free flap reconstruction cases. Three patients with lower extremity defects and ischemic vasculopathy underwent free flap reconstruction. Intraoperatively, the candidate vessels were evaluated using ICGA. In the first case, a 10 × 6 cm defect on the anterior side of the lower third of the leg caused by minor trauma and associated with peripheral arterial occlusive disease was reconstructed using a super-thin anterolateral thigh flap based on one perforator. In the second case, a 12 × 8 cm defect on the posterior side of the right lower leg caused by a dog bite and associated with severe atherosclerosis throughout all three major vessels in the lower leg was reconstructed using a muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap. In the third case, a 13.5 × 5.5 cm defect on the right lateral malleolar region, where the peroneus longus tendon was exposed due to Buerger's disease, was reconstructed using a one perforator-based super-thin anterolateral thigh flap. In all cases, ICGA was used to evaluate the functionality of the candidate recipient vessels. In two cases, the candidate vessels showed acceptable blood flow, and the operations proceeded as planned. In the third case, the planned vessels of posterior tibial vessels were not identified to have sufficient blood flow, and one of their branches showing enhancement in ICGA was selected and used as a recipient vessel. All flaps survived completely. No adverse events occurred during the follow-up period of postoperative 3 months. Our results suggest that ICGA may be a valuable diagnostic tool for evaluating the quality of candidate recipient vessels in cases where their functionality cannot be guaranteed with conventional imaging modalities.

Surgical and Oncological Outcomes of Wedge Resection Versus Segment 4b + 5 Resection for T2 and T3 Gallbladder Cancer: a Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Liver resection is the standard operative procedure for patients with T2 and T3 gallbladder cancers (GBC). However, the optimal extent of hepatectomy remains unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search and meta-analysis to assess the safety and long-term outcomes of wedge resection (WR) vs. segment 4b + 5 resection (SR) in patients with T2 and T3 GBC. We reviewed surgical outcomes (i.e., postoperative complications and bile leak) and oncological outcomes (i.e., liver metastasis, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS)).

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 1178 records. Seven studies reported assessments of the above-mentioned outcomes in 1795 patients. WR had significantly fewer postoperative complications than SR, with an odds ratio of 0.40 (95% confidence interval, 0.26 - 0.60; p < 0.001), although there were no significant differences in bile leak between WR and SR. There were no significant differences in oncological outcomes such as liver metastases, 5-year DFS, and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with both T2 and T3 GBC, WR was superior to SR in terms of surgical outcome and comparable to SR in terms of oncological outcomes. WR that achieves margin-negative resection may be a suitable procedure for patients with both T2 and T3 GBC.

The Anatomic Features and Role of Superficial Inferior Epigastric Vein in Abdominal Flap

In lower abdominal flap representing transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap or deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap, superficial inferior epigastric vein (SIEV) exists as superficial and independent venous system from deep system. The superficial venous drainage is dominant despite a dominant deep arterial supply in anterior abdominal wall. As TRAM or DIEP flaps began to be widely used for breast reconstruction, venous congestion issue has been arisen. Many clinical series in regard to venous congestion despite patent microvascular anastomosis site were reported. Venous congestion could be divided in two conditions by the area of venous congestion and each condition is from different anatomical causes. First, if venous congestion was shown in whole flap, it is due to the connection between SIEV and vena comitantes of DIEP. Second, if venous congestion is limited in above midline (Hartrampf zone II), it is due to problem in venous midline crossover. In this article, the authors reviewed the role of SIEV in lower abdominal flap based on the various anatomic and clinical studies. The contents are mainly categorized into four main issues; basic anatomy of SIEV, the two cause of venous congestion, connection between SIEV and vena comitantes of DIEP, and midline crossover of SIEV.

Usefulness and limitation of indocyanine green fluorescence for detection of peritoneal recurrence after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report

Background

Peritoneal recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy occurs rarely, accounting for less than 1% of all recurrences. Reported causes of such dissemination include a history of rupture of the original HCC, needle biopsy or puncture treatment, and surgical procedures. There is no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for peritoneal dissemination. There have been few reports on assisting resection of peritoneal dissemination by using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence.

Case presentation

A 57-year-old man underwent posterior sectionectomy for HCC. Six months later, computed tomography revealed multiple nodules suspected of indicating peritoneal dissemination. Various preoperative imaging studies demonstrated only four nodules, the doubling time of the tumors being rapid at 22 days. The nodules were therefore resected. ICG (0.5 mg/kg) was injected intravenously 2 days before the procedure, enabling identification of the nodules by their brightness in the operative field under near-infrared lighting. A total of eight lesions were detected during the procedure and resected, some of which had not been identified by preoperative imaging studies. We diagnosed peritoneal dissemination of HCC based on the pathological findings and their similarity to those of the original HCC. We concluded that the recurrences were likely attributable to exposure of the tumor to the serosa at the time of the original operation.

Conclusions

Although ICG fluorescence is useful for identifying peritoneal dissemination of HCC, attention should be paid to the difficulty in detecting deep lesions and occurrence of false positives.

Improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of T2 gallbladder carcinoma is pivotal to improvement in the overall prognosis for this disease

Since the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) subdivided the T2 stage of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) into T2a and T2b, the diagnosis and treatment of those stages have been a subject of heated discussion and controversy. T2 is a stage of GBC that might be treatable. Based on the extent of lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, T2 GBC can be classified into various pathological stages such as IIA, IIB, IIIB, and IVB, leading to controversy in clinical settings. This review aims to discuss the effectiveness of and controversies concerning S4b+5 resection, the acceptable extent of lymph node dissection, the timing for treatment of incidental gallbladder cancer, and adjuvant therapy. This review also aims to suggest directions for and recommendations regarding clinical research in the future.

Cholecystic Venous Anatomy: A Cadaveric Study with Implications for Portal Venous Interruption Procedure

The techniques of portal vein embolization (PVE) or ligation (PVL) have the goals of combining an induced atrophy of metastatic segments with the rapid relative compensatory hypertrophy of the postresection future liver remnant (FLR). Our study examines the anatomy of right-left hepatic lobar venous connections in the adult cadaver using corrosion cast analysis in an effort to define some of the inherent anatomical reasons why both PVL and PVE may be technically unsuccessful. Corrosion cast models of 215 cadaveric liver specimens were evaluated for hepatopetal venous blood flow, with a particular emphasis on cholecystic venous drainage patterns, including 57 cases prepared after lobar portal venous ligation. In 88.8 per cent of corrosion casts, there was a segmental venous communication between the gallbladder and all segments of the liver, except segment II. There was cystic vein drainage directly into a main lobar branch or directly into the portal vein itself in 11.2 per cent of cases. In all 57 cases, after portal lobar venous division, in situ cystic veins allowed persistent venous communication between lobes. Our cadaveric corrosion cast study has suggested that there is extensive intrahepatic cholecystic venous drainage to many segments of the liver. Perfusion from the gallbladder may potentially contribute to a limited response to procedures which interrupt the portal venous flow and could affect their capacity to induce an adequate FLR which would permit a wider hepatectomy.

Feasibility of liver graft procurement with donor gallbladder preservation in living donor liver transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Cholecystectomy is routinely performed at most transplant centers during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of liver graft procurement with donor gallbladder preservation in LDLT.

METHODS

Eighty-nine LDLTs (from June 2006 to Dec 2012) were retrospectively analyzed at our hospital. The surgical approach for liver graft procurement with donor gallbladder preservation was assessed, and the anatomy of the cystic artery, the morphology and contractibility of the preserved gallbladder, postoperative symptoms, and vascular and biliary complications were compared among donors with or without gallbladder preservation.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight donors (15 right and 13 left-liver grafts) successfully underwent liver graft procurement with gallbladder preservation. Among the 15 right lobectomy donors, for 12 cases (80.0 %) the cystic artery originated from right hepatic artery. From the left hepatic artery and proper hepatic artery accounted for 6.7 % (1/15), respectively. Postoperative symptoms among these 28 donors were slight, although donors with cholecystectomy often complained of fatty food aversion, dyspepsia, and diarrhea during an average follow-up of 58.6 (44-78) months. The morphology and contractibility of the preserved gallbladders were comparable with normal status; the rate of contraction was 53.8 and 76.7 %, respectively, 30 and 60 min after ingestion of a fatty meal. Biliary and vascular complications among donors and recipients, irrespective of gallbladder preservation, were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that for donors compliant with anatomical requirements, liver graft procurement with gallbladder preservation for the donor is feasible and safe. The preserved gallbladder was assessed as functioning well and postoperative symptoms as a result of cholecystectomy were significantly reduced during long-term follow-up.

Liver parenchymal sparing surgery for locally advanced gallbladder cancer with extracapsular lymph node invasion

A complete R0 resection is the standard treatment in patients with gallbladder cancer and the only potentially definitive curative therapy. Major hepatectomy, including right or extended right hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection, would be an option in patients with locally advanced gallbladder cancer, while morbidity and mortality rate are still high. Herein, we report a case of a locally advanced gallbladder cancer invading the right hepatic artery (RHA), common hepatic duct, and transverse colon. This patient was successfully treated with parenchymal sparing surgery without major hepatectomy and achieved R0 resection by means of extended cholecystectomy combined with resection of the transverse colon, extrahepatic bile duct, and RHA. Intrahepatic arterial flow was preserved without reconstruction of the RHA, and the postoperative course was favorable. Liver parenchymal sparing surgery might be an alternative procedure in patients with gallbladder cancer, to minimize the risk of severe morbidity, if R0 resection is possible.