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Flores Carvalho M, Boteon YL, Guarrera JV, Modi PR, Lladó L, Lurje G, Kasahara M, Dutkowski P, Schlegel A. Obstacles to implement machine perfusion technology in routine clinical practice of transplantation: Why are we not there yet? Hepatology 2024; 79:713-730. [PMID: 37013926 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Machine perfusion of solid human organs is an old technique, and the basic principles were presented as early as 1855 by Claude Barnard. More than 50 years ago, the first perfusion system was used in clinical kidney transplantation. Despite the well-known benefits of dynamic organ preservation and significant medical and technical development in the last decades, perfusion devices are still not in routine use. This article describes the various challenges to implement this technology in practice, critically analyzing the role of all involved stakeholders, including clinicians, hospitals, regulatory, and industry, on the background of regional differences worldwide. The clinical need for this technology is discussed first, followed by the current status of research and the impact of costs and regulations. Considering the need for strong collaborations between clinical users, regulatory bodies, and industry, integrated road maps and pathways required to achieve a wider implementation are presented. The role of research development, clear regulatory pathways, and the need for more flexible reimbursement schemes is discussed together with potential solutions to address the most relevant hurdles. This article paints an overall picture of the current liver perfusion landscape and highlights the role of clinical, regulatory, and financial stakeholders worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Flores Carvalho
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Hepatobiliary Unit, University of Florence, AOU Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Yuri L Boteon
- Liver Unit, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - James V Guarrera
- Division of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Surgery, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Pranjal R Modi
- Department of Transplantation Surgery, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Center and Dr. H L Trivedi Institute of Transplantation Sciences (IKDRC-ITS), Ahmedabad, India
| | - Laura Lladó
- Liver Transplant Unit, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Georg Lurje
- Department of Surgery, Campus Charité Mitte, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mureo Kasahara
- Transplantation Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Philipp Dutkowski
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Schlegel
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Hepatobiliary Unit, University of Florence, AOU Careggi, Florence, Italy
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Center for Preclinical Research, 20100 Milan, Italy
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Panconesi R, Carvalho MF, Eden J, Fazi M, Ansari F, Mancina L, Navari N, Sousa Da Silva RX, Dondossola D, Borrego LB, Pietzke M, Peris A, Meierhofer D, Muiesan P, Galkin A, Marra F, Dutkowski P, Schlegel A. Mitochondrial injury during normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) and hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE) in a rodent model of DCD liver transplantation. EBioMedicine 2023; 98:104861. [PMID: 37924707 PMCID: PMC10660010 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) and hypothermic-oxygenated-perfusion (HOPE), were both shown to improve outcomes after liver transplantation from donors after circulatory death (DCD). Comparative clinical and mechanistical studies are however lacking. METHODS A rodent model of NRP and HOPE, both in the donor, was developed. Following asystolic donor warm ischemia time (DWIT), the abdominal compartment was perfused either with a donor-blood-based-perfusate at 37 °C (NRP) or with oxygenated Belzer-MPS at 10 °C (donor-HOPE) for 2 h. Livers were then procured and underwent 5 h static cold storage (CS), followed by transplantation. Un-perfused and HOPE-treated DCD-livers (after CS) and healthy livers (DBD) with direct implantation after NRP served as controls. Endpoints included the entire spectrum of ischemia-reperfusion-injury. FINDINGS Healthy control livers (DBD) showed minimal signs of inflammation during 2 h NRP and achieved 100% posttransplant recipient survival. In contrast, DCD livers with 30 and 60 min DWIT suffered from greater mitochondrial injury and inflammation as measured by increased perfusate Lactate, FMN- and HMGB-1-levels with subsequent Toll-like-receptor activation during NRP. In contrast, donor-HOPE (instead of NRP) led to significantly less mitochondrial-complex-I-injury and inflammation. Results after donor-HOPE were comparable to ex-situ HOPE after CS. Most DCD-liver recipients survived when treated with one HOPE-technique (86%), compared to only 40% after NRP (p = 0.0053). Following a reduction of DWIT (15 min), DCD liver recipients achieved comparable survivals with NRP (80%). INTERPRETATION High-risk DCD livers benefit more from HOPE-treatment, either immediately in the donor or after cold storage. Comparative prospective clinical studies are required to translate the results. FUNDING Funding was provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no: 32003B-140776/1, 3200B-153012/1, 320030-189055/1, and 31IC30-166909) and supported by University Careggi (grant no 32003B-140776/1) and the OTT (grant No.: DRGT641/2019, cod.prog. 19CT03) and the Max Planck Society. Work in the A.G. laboratory was partially supported by the NIH R01NS112381 and R21NS125466 grants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Panconesi
- Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Surgery, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, University of Turin, 10124, Turin, Italy; Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Janina Eden
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marilena Fazi
- Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Fariha Ansari
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Leandro Mancina
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Navari
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Richard Xavier Sousa Da Silva
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Dondossola
- General and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico and University of Milan, Centre of Preclinical Research, 20122, Italy
| | - Lucia Bautista Borrego
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Pietzke
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Mass Spectrometry Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adriano Peris
- Tuscany Regional Transplant Authority, Centro Regionale Allocazione Organi e Tessuti (CRAOT), Florence, Italy
| | - David Meierhofer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Mass Spectrometry Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paolo Muiesan
- Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Alexander Galkin
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Fabio Marra
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Center for Research, High Education and Transfer DENOThe, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Philipp Dutkowski
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Schlegel
- Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Swiss HPB and Transplant Center, Zurich, Switzerland; General and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico and University of Milan, Centre of Preclinical Research, 20122, Italy; Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute and Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Maspero M, Ali K, Cazzaniga B, Yilmaz S, Raj R, Liu Q, Quintini C, Miller C, Hashimoto K, Fairchild RL, Schlegel A. Acute rejection after liver transplantation with machine perfusion versus static cold storage: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hepatology 2023; 78:835-846. [PMID: 36988381 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Acute cellular rejection (ACR) is a frequent complication after liver transplantation. By reducing ischemia and graft damage, dynamic preservation techniques may diminish ACR. We performed a systematic review to assess the effect of currently tested organ perfusion (OP) approaches versus static cold storage (SCS) on post-transplant ACR-rates. APPROACH AND RESULTS A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted. Studies reporting ACR-rates between OP and SCS and comprising at least 10 liver transplants performed with either hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE), normothermic machine perfusion, or normothermic regional perfusion were included. Studies with mixed perfusion approaches were excluded. Eight studies were identified (226 patients in OP and 330 in SCS). Six studies were on HOPE, one on normothermic machine perfusion, and one on normothermic regional perfusion. At meta-analysis, OP was associated with a reduction in ACR compared with SCS [OR: 0.55 (95% CI, 0.33-0.91), p =0.02]. This effect remained significant when considering HOPE alone [OR: 0.54 (95% CI, 0.29-1), p =0.05], in a subgroup analysis of studies including only grafts from donation after cardiac death [OR: 0.43 (0.20-0.91) p =0.03], and in HOPE studies with only donation after cardiac death grafts [OR: 0.37 (0.14-1), p =0.05]. CONCLUSIONS Dynamic OP techniques are associated with a reduction in ACR after liver transplantation compared with SCS. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022348356.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Maspero
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- University of Milan, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Khaled Ali
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Beatrice Cazzaniga
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Sumeyye Yilmaz
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Roma Raj
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Qiang Liu
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Cristiano Quintini
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Charles Miller
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Koji Hashimoto
- Transplantation Center, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Robert L Fairchild
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Andrea Schlegel
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Centre of Preclinical Research, Milan, Italy
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
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Schlegel A, Mergental H, Fondevila C, Porte RJ, Friend PJ, Dutkowski P. Machine perfusion of the liver and bioengineering. J Hepatol 2023; 78:1181-1198. [PMID: 37208105 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing number of accepted candidates on waiting lists worldwide, there is an urgent need to expand the number and the quality of donor livers. Dynamic preservation approaches have demonstrated various benefits, including improving liver function and graft survival, and reducing liver injury and post-transplant complications. Consequently, organ perfusion techniques are being used in clinical practice in many countries. Despite this success, a proportion of livers do not meet current viability tests required for transplantation, even with the use of modern perfusion techniques. Therefore, devices are needed to further optimise machine liver perfusion - one promising option is to prolong machine liver perfusion for several days, with ex situ treatment of perfused livers. For example, stem cells, senolytics, or molecules targeting mitochondria or downstream signalling can be administered during long-term liver perfusion to modulate repair mechanisms and regeneration. Besides, today's perfusion equipment is also designed to enable the use of various liver bioengineering techniques, to develop scaffolds or for their re-cellularisation. Cells or entire livers can also undergo gene modulation to modify animal livers for xenotransplantation, to directly treat injured organs or to repopulate such scaffolds with "repaired" autologous cells. This review first discusses current strategies to improve the quality of donor livers, and secondly reports on bioengineering techniques to design optimised organs during machine perfusion. Current practice, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with these different perfusion strategies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schlegel
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Centre of Preclinical Research, Milan, 20122, Italy; Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Center, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hynek Mergental
- The Liver Unit, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Constantino Fondevila
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery & Transplantation, General & Digestive Surgery Service, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZ, CIBERehd, Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert J Porte
- Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Department of Surgery, Division of HPB & Transplant Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter J Friend
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philipp Dutkowski
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Center, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
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Widmer J, Eden J, Carvalho MF, Dutkowski P, Schlegel A. Machine Perfusion for Extended Criteria Donor Livers: What Challenges Remain? J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11175218. [PMID: 36079148 PMCID: PMC9457017 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11175218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on the renaissance of dynamic preservation techniques, extended criteria donor (ECD) livers reclaimed a valuable eligibility in the transplantable organ pool. Being more vulnerable to ischemia, ECD livers carry an increased risk of early allograft dysfunction, primary non-function and biliary complications and, hence, unveiled the limitations of static cold storage (SCS). There is growing evidence that dynamic preservation techniques—dissimilar to SCS—mitigate reperfusion injury by reconditioning organs prior transplantation and therefore represent a useful platform to assess viability. Yet, a debate is ongoing about the advantages and disadvantages of different perfusion strategies and their best possible applications for specific categories of marginal livers, including organs from donors after circulatory death (DCD) and brain death (DBD) with extended criteria, split livers and steatotic grafts. This review critically discusses the current clinical spectrum of livers from ECD donors together with the various challenges and posttransplant outcomes in the context of standard cold storage preservation. Based on this, the potential role of machine perfusion techniques is highlighted next. Finally, future perspectives focusing on how to achieve higher utilization rates of the available donor pool are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannette Widmer
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Janina Eden
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mauricio Flores Carvalho
- Hepatobiliary Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, AOU Careggi, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Philipp Dutkowski
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Schlegel
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB Centre, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Centre of Preclinical Research, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Panconesi R, Flores Carvalho M, Dondossola D, Muiesan P, Dutkowski P, Schlegel A. Impact of Machine Perfusion on the Immune Response After Liver Transplantation – A Primary Treatment or Just a Delivery Tool. Front Immunol 2022; 13:855263. [PMID: 35874758 PMCID: PMC9304705 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.855263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The frequent use of marginal livers forces transplant centres to explore novel technologies to improve organ quality and outcomes after implantation. Organ perfusion techniques are therefore frequently discussed with an ever-increasing number of experimental and clinical studies. Two main approaches, hypothermic and normothermic perfusion, are the leading strategies to be introduced in clinical practice in many western countries today. Despite this success, the number of studies, which provide robust data on the underlying mechanisms of protection conveyed through this technology remains scarce, particularly in context of different stages of ischemia-reperfusion-injury (IRI). Prior to a successful clinical implementation of machine perfusion, the concept of IRI and potential key molecules, which should be addressed to reduce IRI-associated inflammation, requires a better exploration. During ischemia, Krebs cycle metabolites, including succinate play a crucial role with their direct impact on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at mitochondrial complex I upon reperfusion. Such features are even more pronounced under normothermic conditions and lead to even higher levels of downstream inflammation. The direct consequence appears with an activation of the innate immune system. The number of articles, which focus on the impact of machine perfusion with and without the use of specific perfusate additives to modulate the inflammatory cascade after transplantation is very small. This review describes first, the subcellular processes found in mitochondria, which instigate the IRI cascade together with proinflammatory downstream effects and their link to the innate immune system. Next, the impact of currently established machine perfusion strategies is described with a focus on protective mechanisms known for the different perfusion approaches. Finally, the role of such dynamic preservation techniques to deliver specific agents, which appear currently of interest to modulate this posttransplant inflammation, is discussed together with future aspects in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Panconesi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- General Surgery 2U-Liver Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della, Scienza di Torino, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Mauricio Flores Carvalho
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Dondossola
- General and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore, Policlinico and University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Muiesan
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- General and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore, Policlinico and University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Philipp Dutkowski
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Schlegel
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Hepatobiliary Unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- General and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore, Policlinico and University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Andrea Schlegel,
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