Ahmed Fouad Bouras

Pre-operative management is associated with low rate of post-operative morbidity in penetrating Crohn?s disease

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 459–465

Volumetric gain of the liver after major hepatectomy in obese patients: a case-matched study in 84 patients.

Objective:The objective was to determine the liver volumetric recovering capacity and postoperative course after major hepatectomy in obese patients through a case-matched study. Background:In literature, the impact of obesity on liver recovering has been analyzed only indirectly in terms of morbimortality but never through volumetric assessment. Patients and Method:Between 2005 and 2011, 42 patients with body mass index (BMI) 30 or higher (Ob group) underwent major hepatectomy and were matched with 42 patients with BMI 25 or lower (NonOb group) on the magnitude of resection (number of resected segments ±1, remnant liver volume to total liver volume, RLV/TLV, ±5%). The RLV was measured on computed tomographic slices preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 month (RLV-1M) for all patients and within 3 to 12 months in 42 paired patients (median = 6 months, RLV-6M). Considering hepatomegaly in Ob group, RLV was also normalized to body weight (RLVBWR). The liver volumetric gain was expressed as a relative increase [(RLV-1M − RLV)/RLV] or increase in RLVBWR. Results:The Ob and NonOb groups were comparable regarding clinicopathological data, except for arterial hypertension (48% vs 19%; P = 0.005), mean steatosis (24% vs 10%; P = 0.03), and fibrosis incidence (33% vs 10%; P = 0.008). Ob group showed longer operative time and higher blood losses. There were no intergroup differences in liver failure (both 7.1%) and 90-day morbimortality. Despite comparable RLV/TLV (38.1% vs 37.7%; P = 0.13), the relative liver volumetric gain at 1 month was significantly lower in Ob group (+93% vs +115%; P = 0.002), as well as RLVBWR increase (+0.59% vs +0.79%; P < 0.001). The RLV-1M represented 66.2% of initial TLV in Ob group compared with 73.8% (P = 0.005) in NonOb group. This delay in relative volumetric gain persisted at 6 months (+105.4% vs +137.6%; P = 0.009), the RLV-6M representing 71.2% vs 82.4% of initial TLV (P = 0.014). Conclusions:In a methodologically robust trial in the first cohort reported up to date, the regenerative response in obese patients was comparatively slower based on their initial TLV or body weight.

Right hepatectomy with extra-hepatic vascular division prior to transection: intention-to-treat analysis of a standardized policy

BACKGROUND Right hepatectomy (RH) is the most common type of major hepatectomy and can be achieved without portal triad clamping (PTC) in non-cirrhotic liver. The present study reviews our standardized policy of performing RH without systematic PTC. METHODS One hundred and eighty-one consecutive RH were performed in non-cirrhotic patients, with division of the right afferent and efferent blood vessels prior to transection, without systematically using PTC. Prospectively collected data were analysed, focusing on the following endpoints: need for salvage PTC, ischaemic time, blood loss and post-operative outcome. RESULTS Extra-hepatic division of the right hepatic vessels was feasible in all patients, but was ineffective in 48 patients (26.5%) who required salvage PTC during transection. In those patients, the median ischaemic time was 20 min. The median blood loss was 500 ml (50-3000). Six patients (3.3%) experienced post-operative liver failure. Overall morbidity, severe morbidity and mortality were 42%, 12.1% and 1.6%, respectively, with peri-operative transfusion rate (16.6%) being the only factor associated with morbidity. DISCUSSION By performing RH with extra-hepatic vascular division prior to transection, PTC can be safely avoided in the majority of patients.

Liver endometriosis presenting as a liver mass associated with high blood levels of tumoral biomarkers

Endometriosis is a dissemination of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity, responsible for pain and impaired fertility in women of childbearing age. Although endometriosis generally occurs in the pelvis, it can be located further away. We describe the case of a 35-year-old woman who was admitted for further evaluation of a cystic mass of the liver that had invaded the right ventricle and caused pain. Serum levels of the tumor markers CA 125, CA 15-3 and CA 19-9 were elevated. The tumor was resected with a small part of the right ventricle free wall, the diaphragm and the left liver lobe. A histological analysis confirmed that the mass was a benign endometrial cyst. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient remains asymptomatic with 5 year follow-up. A diagnosis of endometriosis should be considered for thoraco-abdominal cystic masses associated with menses-related pain in women of childbearing age.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in situs ambiguus: CT findings of a rare disposition

Heterotaxic disorders or situs ambiguus are uncommon anatomical variations constituted by a partial mirror-image disposition of intra thoracic and/or abdominal solid organs. These variations are challenging because rarely met in a surgeon’s career, and because of the coexistence of numerous other anatomical variants, like ones related to the asymmetrical organs, causing difficulties when a surgical management is required. We report the case of a 57-year-old patient presenting liver cirrhosis in which regular follow-up discovered a hepatocellular carcinoma of the right part of the liver associated to numerous anatomical variations in the setting of a situs ambiguus. This patient was successfully treated by a sub-segmentectomy via a right sub-costal laparotomy. There were neither peroperative nor postoperative complications. This case emphasizes the technical difficulties faced, successfully managed thanks to a good preoperative screening, and allows us to review literature of such a rare and challenging situation.

Atrial embolism caused by portal vein embolization: Treatment by percutaneous withdrawal and stenting

Hepatectomy remains the only curative treatment for many primary and secondary liver cancers. Portal vein embolization (PVE) has been used to increase the volume of the future liver remnant and thus lower the risk of small-for-size syndrome and postoperative liver failure. This technique has proven its safety, with a low post-procedure morbidity rate. Here, we describe a very rare case in which a young patient suffered a glue embolism to the right atrial cavity following PVE in preparation for a major hepatectomy for colorectal metastasis. The foreign body was withdrawn from the heart with a femoral, percutaneous device and trapped against the wall of the femoral vein with a self-expanding metal stent. Our report shows that this previously unknown complication of PVE can be resolved without recourse to sternotomy and open heart surgery.