John Vassiliou

Total versus selective hepatic vascular exclusion in major liver resections

BACKGROUND Total hepatic vascular exclusion (THVE) and selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE) are two effective techniques for bleeding control in major hepatic resections. Outcomes of the two procedures were compared. METHODS Patients undergoing major liver resection were randomly allocated to the THVE and SHVE groups. Intraoperative hemodynamic changes and the postoperative course of the two groups were compared. RESULTS During vascular clamping, the THVE group showed a significant elevation in pulmonary vascular resistance, systemic vascular resistance, intrapulmonary shunts, and a significant reduction in cardiac index, compared with the SHVE group (P <0.05). Patients undergoing THVE received more crystalloids and blood, showed more severe liver, renal and pancreatic dysfunction, and had a longer hospital stay than the SHVE group (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both techniques are equally effective in bleeding control in major liver resections. THVE is associated with cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic alterations and may be not tolerated by some patients. SHVE is well tolerated with fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospitalization time.

Aggressive treatment of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the rectum to the liver: a case report and a brief review of the literature

BackgroundRectal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare tumor. The incidence of this malignancy has been reported to be 0.25 to 1 per 1000 colorectal carcinomas. From a review of the English literature 55 cases of SCC of the rectum have been published. In this study we report a rectal metastatic SCC to the liver, discussing the efficacy of aggressive adjuvant and neo-adjuvant therapies on survival and prognosis.Case presentationA 39-year-old female patient with a pure SCC of the rectum diagnosed endoscopically is presented. The patient underwent initially neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy and then abdominoperineal resection with concomitant bilateral oophorectomy and hysterectomy, followed by adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy. Five months after the initial operation liver metastasis was demonstrated and a liver resection was carried out, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Eighteen months after the initial operation the patient is alive.ConclusionAlthough prognosis of rectal SCC is worse than that of adenocarcinoma, an aggressive therapeutic approach with surgery as the primary treatment, followed by combined neo- and adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy, may be necessary in order to improve survival and prognosis.

A rare case of complex vascular reconstruction in liver transplantation

Abnormalities of recipient or donor vascular structures are associated with reconstructive difficulties in liver transplantation. A patient with thrombosis of the right hepatic vein and associated stricture of the inferior vena cava (IVC), portal vein thrombosis and multiple aberrant arteries underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. The donors suprahepatic IVC was anastomosed to the recipients intrathoracic IVC. The portal vein flow was restored by venous graft interposition, while the arterial flow was ensured by interposing an iliac arterial graft anastomosed to the infrarenal aorta. In conclusion, graft function remains excellent more than 5 years postoperatively. (Liver Transpl 2005;11:117–118.)