Jens Mittler

New onset of diabetes after transplantation is associated with improved patient survival after liver transplantation due to confounding factor

BACKGROUND The influence of NODAT on survival of liver transplant recipients has not been clarified. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of NODAT on survival in LT recipients. METHODS Data from 352 LT patients were totally analyzed. 97 patients with pretransplant diabetes mellitus were excluded, and 255 patients without diabetes mellitus at time of transplantation were included. RESULTS NODAT was diagnosed in 41 patients (16.1%). There was no difference in frequency of NODAT according to the etiology of liver cirrhosis. NODAT was associated with a higher body weight (p=0.004) and BMI (p=0.002) 5years after LT, but not with weight gain (p=0.201) or increase in BMI (p=0.335) 5years after LT. HbA1c 5years after LT was significantly higher in patients with NODAT (p=0.001), but mean HbA1c still remained lower than 6.5% (6.4(±1.2) %). Patients with NODAT showed better survival rates (log rank: p=0.002) compared to LT recipients without diabetes. According to all existing knowledge of diabetes mellitus (DM) better survival cannot be a direct effect of this disease. Our results are rather influenced by an not known confounding factor (possibly recovery from cachexia) associated with better survival and NODAT, while complications of NODAT will not appear during the relatively short postoperative time and observation period (mean follow up 6.08 (±2.67) years). CONCLUSION NODAT is frequently diagnosed in LT recipients and is associated with an improved 5year survival after LT due to a not exactly known confounding factor.

Impact of pancreatic comorbidities in patients with end-stage liver disease on outcome after liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND Diseases leading to end-stage liver disease (ESLD), especially alcoholic liver cirrhosis cause comorbidities of the pancreas, too. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the impact of pancreatic alterations diagnosed pretransplant on the outcome after liver transplantation (LT). METHODS In total, data from 372 LT patients were analyzed. Patients were followed up for a mean of 4.2 years. Incidence of chronic pancreatitis (CP), pancreatic cysts (PC) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) was acquired retrospectively from patients charts. RESULTS CP, IPMN and PC were rarely diagnosed in LT-recipients [CP (3.8%), PC (1.6%) and IPMN (1.6%)]. There was no significant correlation of IPMN, CP, PC and other patient characteristics. The prevalence of CP (log rank: p=0.315), PC (log rank: p=0.242) and IPMN (log rank: p=0.491) did not influence patient survival. CONCLUSION Frequency of radiological alterations of the pancreas in LT recipients (such as CP, PC, IPMN) diagnosed by sonography, CT scan or MRI is comparable to the non-transplant population. Short term survival of LT-recipients after transplantation is not reduced for patients with CP, PC and patients with branch-duct IPMN (with a low-risk for malignancy according to international consensus guidelines).

Pringle maneuver increases the risk of anastomotic leakage after colonic resection in rats

BACKGROUND Many centers use the Pringles maneuver during liver resections. Since this maneuver might impair healing of bowel anastomoses, we evaluated its influence on the healing of colonic anastomosis in rats. METHODS Male Wistar rats underwent median laparotomy and sigmoid resection with end-to-end anastomosis under inhalation anesthesia. Thereafter, rats received a 25 minutes Pringles maneuver (PM, group 1) or were kept under anesthesia for the same period of time (group 2). The anastomotic bursting pressure (BP) was measured on postoperative days (POD) 3, 6 and 9. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining was used for histopathological evaluation of the anastomosis. The Mann-Whitney U and χ2 -tests were used, p<0.05 values were considered significant. RESULTS All animals (n=48) lost body weight (BW) until POD3 (95.2% vs. 85.7%, p=0.003), and BW remained lower after PM (106.2% vs. 92.8%, p=0.001). The anastomotic BP was lower in group 1 compared to group 2 on POD 3 (116mmHg vs. 176.28mmHg, p=0.001), POD 6 (182.8mmHg vs. 213mmHg, p=0.029) and POD 9 (197.2mmHg vs. 251.7mmHg, p=0.009), and mortality was higher in group 1 (1 vs. 7, p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS Pringles maneuver increases anastomotic complications in rats. Therefore, a Pringles maneuver should be avoided during simultaneous liver and colorectal surgery.

A Match-Pair Analysis of Open Versus Laparoscopic Liver Surgery

Background and Objectives: In addition to general advantages of laparoscopic over open surgery, such as better cosmesis and faster recovery, laparoscopic liver surgery offers specific advantages. Improved liver function and potentially earlier postoperative oncologic treatment are suggested by the literature as benefits of laparoscopic over open liver surgery. The purpose of this analysis was to analyze the outcomes of laparoscopic liver surgery in our department. Methods: All laparoscopic liver resections (LLRs) performed from January 2011 through July 2016 were identified from the institutional database and matched 1:2 to open liver resections (OLRs). Data were analyzed regarding perioperative outcome, and significance was set at P < .05. Results: Of 1525 liver resections, 120 patients were included in this analysis. Forty resections were performed laparoscopically. Patients in the LLR group more often had benign tumors. No patient died after LLR, but 2 required conversion to open surgery (5%) because of bleeding. Blood loss (200 vs 500 mL, P < .001) was less and hospital stay (6 vs. 7 days, P = .001) shorter after LLR. Iwate score, operating time, and the size of the resection margins did not differ between the groups. Iwate score correlated with operative time (P = .027). Conclusions: Laparoscopic liver surgery was safe, and several advantages over open surgery were confirmed in our series.

Progression of transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis in donors and recipients after domino liver transplantation-a prospective single-center cohort study

Liver transplantation (LT) is the first‐line therapy in patients with transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis and progressive familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). Explanted organs from these patients can be used for domino liver transplantation (DLT). After DLT, de novo amyloidosis may develop in domino recipients (DR). Data were collected prospectively in a transplant database. Electroneurography by nerve conduction velocity (NCV), quantitative sensory testing, heart rate variability (HRV), sympathetic skin response, orthostatic reaction (tilt table test), transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac MRI and organ biopsy results were evaluated. The cohort included 24 FAP‐ (11 Val30Met, 13 nonVal30Met) and 23 DR‐patients. DR symptoms referred to post‐DLT only, while those of FAP patients were both pre‐ and post‐transplantation. Symptoms of TTR‐amyloidosis in Val30Met and Non‐Val30Met patients pre‐ and post‐LT were similarly distributed. Biopsy‐proven de novo amyloidosis occurred in 4/23 DR after a mean observation of 10 years. Analysis for manifestations of amyloidosis only included patients with available 5‐year follow‐up data (n = 13 FAP, n = 12 DR). Compared to Val30Met FAP patients pre‐LT, Val30Met DR patients had better NCV (P = 0.04) and HRV (P = 0.015). In the Non‐Val30Met group no differences were found between DR and FAP patients pre‐LT. TTR‐amyloidosis symptoms showed no differences in FAP patients pre‐ and 5 years post‐LT, irrespective of Val30Met status. In DR patients, de novo amyloidosis occurred earlier than expected. Therefore, recipients for DLT need to be carefully selected and followed.