The best approach for splenectomy in portal hypertension

Laparoscopic azygoportal disconnection with and without splenectomy for portal hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (LSD) has been reported to be safe, feasible, and minimally invasive for cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. There is still controversy as to whether it is necessary to perform synchronous splenectomy for patients with moderate hypersplenism who undergo azygoportal disconnection for esophagogastric variceal hemorrhage (EGVB).

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes in 51 cirrhotic patients with EGVB and moderate hypersplenism (PLT ≥50 × 10⁹/L) who underwent LSD (n = 28) or laparoscopic azygoportal disconnection (LD) (n = 23) between January 2014 and October 2015. Their demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were compared.

RESULTS

LSD and LD were successful in all the patients. When compared with LSD, LD had a significantly shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospital stay, fewer days of postoperative body temperature >38.0 °C, lower rate of fever postoperatively, and lower C-reactive protein concentration and procalcitonin concentration on postoperative day (POD) 7 (all P < 0.05). The incidences of portal vein system thrombosis in the LD group on PODs 7, 30, and 90 were significantly lower than those in the LSD group at all the time points (all P < 0.05). According to the postoperative serum proportions of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio (all P < 0.05), the LSD group had significantly lower immune function than the LD group on POD 90.

CONCLUSIONS

LD is safe and effective for EGVB with moderate hypersplenism secondary to portal hypertension in selected patients.

Individualized Laparoscopic Therapy for Portal Hypertension: A Preliminary Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND

To investigate the effects and technical points of several individualized laparoscopic therapies for patients suffering from cirrhotic portal hypertension.

METHODS

In total, 385 cirrhotic patients who underwent the treatment of individualized laparoscopic therapy from February 2012 to December 2015 at the Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and the key technical points.

RESULTS

Individualized laparoscopic therapies were successfully performed on 379 of 385 cases. Six cases were converted to a laparotomy (the rate of conversion to laparotomy was 1.6%). Modified laparoscopic splenectomy (MLS) for cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism was successfully performed on 103 of 105 cases. Laparoscopic azygoportal disconnection for cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) or F3 varices was successfully performed on 61 of 62 cases, and modified laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (MLSD) for cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism and EGVB or F3 varices was successfully performed on 196 of 201 cases. Synchronous MLS and laparoscopic partial hepatectomy (SLSH) for cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and synchronous MLSD and laparoscopic partial hepatectomy (SLSDH) for cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism, EGVB or F3 varices and HCC were all successfully implemented on 12 and 5 patients, respectively. From May 2013, we used the intraoperative autologous cell salvage during each individualized laparoscopic procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

An individualized laparoscopic therapy was beneficial for different state of selected cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension with or without HCC.

Assessment of immune cells and function of the residual spleen after subtotal splenectomy due to splenomegaly in cirrhotic patients

Background

The spleen is thought to be central in regulating the immune system, a metabolic asset involved in endocrine function. Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection leads to a mortality rate of up to 50%. However, there is still controversy on performing subtotal splenectomy as treatment of splenomegaly due to portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. In the present study, immunocytes and the indexes of splenic size, hemodynamics, hematology and immunology in the residual spleen were analyzed to support subtotal splenectomy due to splenomegaly.

Results

In residual spleen, T lymphocytes mainly were focal aggregation in the periarterial lymphatic sheath. While B lymphocytes densely distributed in splenic corpuscle. In red pulp, macrophages were equally distributed in the xsplenic cord and adhered to the wall of splenic sinus with high density. The number of unit area T and B lymphocytes of splenic corpuscle and marginal zone as well as macrophages of red pulp were obviously increased in the residual spleen, while the number of macrophages didn’t be changed among the three groups in white pulp. While there were some beneficial changes (i.e., Counts of platelet and leucocyte as well as serum proportion of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells were increased markedly; serum levels of M-CSF and GM-CSF were decreased significantly; The proportion of granulocyte, erythrocyte, megakaryocyte in bone marrow were changed obviously; But serum IgA, IgM, IgG, Tuftsin level, there was no significant difference; splenic artery flow volume, portal venous diameter and portal venous flow volume, a significant difference was observed in residual spleen) in the clinical indices.

Conclusion

After subtotal splenectomy with splenomegaly due to portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients, the number of unit area T and B lymphocytes, and MØ in red pulp of residual spleen increased significantly. However, whether increase of T, B lymphocytes and MØs in residual splenic tissue can enhance the immune function of the spleen, still need further research to confirm.

Haematological and biochemical characteristics of the splenic effluent blood in schistosomal patients undergoing splenectomy

OBJECTIVE

To assess hematological and biochemical features of splenic effluent blood and their influence on the rise of hematological values after splenectomy.

METHODS

we studied 20 patients undergoing surgical treatment for schistosomatic portal hypertension. We collected blood samples for CBC, coagulation, bilirubin and albumin in the splenic vein (perioperative) and peripheral blood (immediately pre and postoperative periods).

RESULTS

the splenic blood showed higher values of red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count, total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils, as well as reduction of laboratory coagulation parameters in relation to peripheral blood collected preoperatively. In the postoperative peripheral blood there was an increase in the overall leukocytes and in their neutrophil component, and decreased levels of basophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes. The other postoperative variables of complete blood count and coagulation tests were not different compared with the splenic blood. The albumin values were lower postoperatively when compared to preoperative and splenic blood. There were higher values of direct bilirubin in the postoperative period when compared with the preoperative and splenic blood. Postoperative indirect bilirubin was lower compared to its value in the splenic blood.

CONCLUSION

hematological and biochemical values of splenic effluent blood are higher than those found in peripheral blood in the presence of schistosomal splenomegaly. However, the splenic blood effluent is not sufficient to raise the blood levels found after splenectomy.