Jonathan R. Hiatt

Prospective Study of Blunt Aortic Injury: Multicenter Trial of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma

BACKGROUND Blunt aortic injury is a major cause of death from blunt trauma. Evolution of diagnostic techniques and methods of operative repair have altered the management and posed new questions in recent years. METHODS This study was a prospectively conducted multi-center trial involving 50 trauma centers in North America under the direction of the Multi-institutional Trial Committee of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. RESULTS There were 274 blunt aortic injury cases studied over 2.5 years, of which 81% were caused by automobile crashes. Chest computed tomography and transesophageal echocardiography were applied in 88 and 30 cases, respectively, and were 75 and 80% diagnostic, respectively. Two hundred seven stable patients underwent planned thoracotomy and repair. Clamp and sew technique was used in 73 (35%) and bypass techniques in 134 (65%). Overall mortality was 31%, with 63% of deaths being attributable to aortic rupture; mortality was not affected by method of repair. Paraplegia occurred postoperatively in 8.7%. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated clamp and sew (p = 0.002) and aortic cross clamp time of > or = 30 minutes (p = 0.01) to be associated with development of postoperative paraplegia. CONCLUSIONS Rupture after hospital admission remains a major problem. Although newer diagnostic techniques are being applied, at this time aortography remains the diagnostic standard. Aortic cross clamp time beyond 30 minutes was associated with paraplegia; bypass techniques, which provide distal aortic perfusion, produced significantly lower paraplegia rates than the clamp and sew approach.

Surgical anatomy of the hepatic arteries in 1000 cases.

ObjectiveAnatomic variations in the hepatic arteries were studied in donor livers that were used for orthotopic transplantation. Summary Background DataVariations have occurred in 25% to 75% of cases. Donor livers represent an appropriate model for study because extrahepatic arterial anatomy must be defined precisely to ensure complete arterialization of the graft at time of transplantation. MethodsRecords of 1000 patients who underwent liver harvesting for orthotopic transplantation between 1984 and 1993 were reviewed. ResultsArterial patterns in order of frequency included the normal Type 1 anatomy (n = 757), with the common hepatic artery arising from the celiac axis to form the gastroduodenal and proper hepatic arteries and the proper hepatic dividing distally into right and left branches; Type 3 (n = 106), with a replaced or accessory right hepatic artery originating from the superior mesenteric artery; Type 2 (n = 97), with a replaced or accessory left hepatic artery arising from the left gastric artery; Type 4 (n = 23), with both right and left hepatic arteries arising from the superior mesenteric and left gastric arteries, respectively; Type 5 (n = 15), with the entire common hepatic artery arising as a branch of the superior mesenteric; and Type 6 (n = 2), with the common hepatic artery originating directly from the aorta. ConclusionsThese data are useful for the planning and conduct of surgical and radiological procedures of the upper abdomen, including lapardscopic operations of the biliary tract.

Liver Transplantation Criteria For Hepatocellular Carcinoma Should Be Expanded: A 22-Year Experience With 467 Patients at UCLA

Objective:To assess the efficacy of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the impact of current staging criteria on long term survival. Summary Background Data:HCC is becoming an increasingly common indication for OLT. Medicare approves OLT only for HCCs meeting the Milan criteria, thus limiting OLT for an expanding pool of potential liver recipients. We analyzed our experience with OLT for HCC to determine if expansion of criteria for OLT for HCC is warranted. Methods:All patients undergoing OLT for HCC from 1984 to 2006 were evaluated. Outcomes were compared for patients who met Milan criteria (single tumor ≤5 cm, maximum of 3 total tumors with none >3 cm), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) criteria (single tumor <6.5 cm, maximum of 3 total tumors with none >4.5 cm, and cumulative tumor size <8 cm), or exceeded UCSF criteria. Results:A total of 467 transplants were performed for HCC. At mean follow up of 6.6 ± 0.9 years, recurrence rate was 21.2%, and overall 1, 3, and 5-year survival was 82%, 65%, and 52%, respectively. Patients meeting Milan criteria had similar 5-year post-transplant survival to patients meeting UCSF criteria by preoperative imaging (79% vs. 64%; P = 0.061) and explant pathology (86% vs. 71%; P = 0.057). Survival for patients with tumors beyond UCSF criteria was significantly lower and was below 50% at 5 years. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor number (P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001), and poor differentiation (P = 0.002) independently predicted poor survival. Conclusions:This largest single institution experience with OLT for HCC demonstrates prolonged survival after liver transplantation for tumors beyond Milan criteria but within UCSF criteria, both when classified by preoperative imaging and by explant pathology. Measured expansion of OLT criteria is justified for tumors not exceeding the UCSF criteria.

Analysis of long-term outcomes of 3200 liver transplantations over two decades: A single-center experience

Objective:Few studies have evaluated long-term outcomes after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This work analyzes the experience of nearly 2 decades by the same team in a single center. Outcomes of OLT and factors affecting survival were analyzed. Methods:Retrospective analysis of 3200 consecutive OLTs that were performed at our institution, between February 1984 and December 31, 2001. Results:Of 2662 recipients, 578 (21.7%) and 659 (24.7%) were pediatric and urgent patients, respectively. Overall 1-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year patient and graft survival estimates were 81%, 72%, 68%, 64% and 73%, 64%, 59%, 55%, respectively. Patient survival significantly improved in the second (1992–2001) versus the era I (1984–1991) of transplantation (P < 0.001). Similarly, graft survival was better in the era II of transplantation (P < 0.02). However, biliary and infectious complications increased in era II. When OLT indications were considered, best recipient survival was obtained in children with biliary atresia (82%, 79%, and 78% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively), while malignant disease in adult patients resulted in the worst outcomes of 68% and 43% at 1 and 5 years, post-OLT. Further, patients <18 years and nonurgent recipients exhibited superior survival when compared with recipients >18 years (P < 0.001) or urgent patients (P < 0.001). Of 13 donor and recipient variables, era of OLT, recipient age, urgent status, donor age, donor length of hospital stay, etiology of liver disease, retransplantation, warm and cold ischemia, but not graft type (whole, split, living-donor), significantly impacted patient survival. Conclusions:Long-term benefits of OLT are greatest in pediatric and nonurgent patients. Multiple factors involving the recipient, etiology of liver disease, donor characteristics, operative variables, and surgical experience influence long-term survival outcomes. By balancing and matching these factors with a given recipient, optimum results can be achieved.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma as a bridge to liver transplantation

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) can be a definitive treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prolonged waiting times for cadaveric livers, however, may lead to dropout from the waiting list or worsened post‐OLT prognosis as a result of interval tumor progression. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is widely used for local control of small unresectable HCC, but its pretransplant role remains unclear. We studied the outcome of 52 consecutive patients accepted for OLT bearing 87 HCC nodules and treated with percutaneous RFA. On initial staging, the tumor burden exceeded the Milan criteria in 10 patients. Complete tumor coagulation was observed in 74 of 87 (85.1%) nodules based on postablation imaging. After a mean of 12.7 months (range: 0.3‐43.5) on the waiting list, 3 of 52 patients (5.8%) had dropped out due to tumor progression. Forty‐one patients had undergone transplantation, with 1‐ and 3‐year post‐OLT survival rates of 85% and 76%, respectively. No patient developed HCC recurrence. There were three major complications in 76 RFA procedures (hepatic arterial hemorrhage, small bowel perforation, and liver decompensation salvaged by OLT), without resultant death or dropout. In conclusion, percutaneous RFA is an effective bridge to OLT for patients with compensated liver function and safely accessible tumors. Tumor‐related dropout rate and post‐OLT outcome compared favorably with published controls of patients with early‐stage disease. This can be attributed to the efficacy of RFA in producing local cure or curbing tumor progression during the waiting period. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;41:1130–1137.)

Optimal Utilization of Donor Grafts With Extended Criteria: A Single-Center Experience in Over 1000 Liver Transplants

Objective:Severely limited organ resources mandate maximum utilization of donor allografts for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This work aimed to identify factors that impact survival outcomes for extended criteria donors (ECD) and developed an ECD scoring system to facilitate graft-recipient matching and optimize utilization of ECDs. Methods:Retrospective analysis of over 1000 primary adult OLTs at UCLA. Extended criteria (EC) considered included donor age (>55 years), donor hospital stay (>5 days), cold ischemia time (>10 hours), and warm ischemia time (>40 minutes). One point was assigned for each extended criterion. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results:Of 1153 allografts considered in the study, 568 organs exhibited no extended criteria (0 score), while 429, 135 and 21 donor allografts exhibited an EC score of 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Overall 1-year patient survival rates were 88%, 82%, 77% and 48% for recipients with EC scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3 respectively (P < 0.001). Adjusting for recipient age and urgency at the time of transplantation, multivariate analysis identified an ascending mortality risk ratio of 1.4 and 1.8 compared to a score of 0 for an EC score of 1, and 2 (P < 0.01) respectively. In contrast, an EC score of 3 was associated with a mortality risk ratio of 4.5 (P < 0.001). Further, advanced recipient age linearly increased the death hazard ratio, while an urgent recipient status increased the risk ratio of death by 50%. Conclusions:Extended criteria donors can be scored using readily available parameters. Optimizing perioperative variables and matching ECD allografts to appropriately selected recipients are crucial to maintain acceptable outcomes and represent a preferable alternative to both high waiting list mortality and to a potentially futile transplant that utilizes an ECD for a critically ill recipient.

Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Liver Transplantation A Review of Preoperative and Postoperative Prognostic Indicators

OBJECTIVE To review the preoperative and postoperative variables that predict hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). DATA SOURCES A collective review of the literature was conducted by searching the MEDLINE database using several key words: hepatocellular carcinoma, recurrence, liver transplantation, and salvage transplantation. STUDY SELECTION Reviews and original articles containing basic scientific observations and long-term clinical outcomes were included. DATA EXTRACTION Critical observations from peer-reviewed sources were incorporated in this review. DATA SYNTHESIS Overall, 11 studies were reviewed to determine the incidence of HCC recurrence following OLT and to identify prognostic variables of recurrence. Four studies were evaluated to determine the efficacy of salvage transplantation following liver resection. CONCLUSIONS Liver transplantation is a viable treatment option for select patients with HCC and end-stage liver disease. However, in approximately 20% of patients, recurrent HCC is the rate-limiting factor for long-term survival. Despite identification of clinical parameters that may stratify patients at high risk and exhaustive preoperative staging, cancer recurrence is likely the result of microscopic extrahepatic disease. With a desperate donor organ shortage, locoregional ablation techniques and resection are being employed in patients on the waiting list to serve as a bridge to OLT. Furthermore, some have advocated aggressive surgical resection of isolated metastasis in both the liver and extrahepatic viscera. Whether these creative strategies confer a survival advantage is unknown; it will require long-term follow-up to determine their efficacy.

Colorectal cancer: comparison of laparoscopic with open approaches.

PURPOSE: We compared laparoscopic with open colectomy for treatment of colorectal cancer. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing colectomy for colorectal cancer between January 1991 and March 1996 at a large private metropolitan teaching hospital. Operative techniques included open (n=90) and laparoscopic (n=80) colectomy. Laparoscopic colectomy was further subdivided into the following groups: facilitated (n=62), with extracorporeal anastomosis; near-complete (n=9), with small incision for specimen delivery only; complete (n=3), with specimen removal through the rectum; and converted to an open procedure (n=6). Main outcome measures included operative time, blood loss, time to oral intake, length of postoperative hospitalization, morbidity, lymph node yield, recurrence, survival, and costs. RESULTS: Operative time was equivalent in the laparoscopic and open groups (laparoscopic, 161 minutes; open, 163 minutes;P=0.94). Blood loss was less for the laparoscopic group (laparoscopic, 104 ml; open, 184 ml;P=0.001), and resumption of oral intake was earlier (laparoscopic, 3.9 days; open, 4.9 days;P=0.001), but length of hospitalization was similar. Mean lymph node yield in the laparoscopic group was 12 compared with 16 in the open group (P=0.16). Rates of morbidity, recurrence, and survival were similar in both groups. No port-site recurrences occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic and open colectomy were therapeutically similar for treatment of colorectal cancer in terms of operative time, length of hospitalization, recurrence, and survival rates. The laparoscopic approach was superior in blood loss and resumption of oral intake.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for ITP

AbstractBackground: A comparison of safety, efficacy, and cost of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) vs open splenectomy (OS) for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was performed. Methods: The records of 49 consecutive patients who underwent splenectomy for ITP (31 LS and 18 OS) at a large metropolitan teaching hospital between 3/91 and 8/95 were reviewed. Morbidity, mortality, hospital stay, operative time, blood loss, time to oral fluid intake, direct costs, and operating room (OR) costs were analyzed. Results: Age, sex, comorbidity, and spleen size were similar in both groups. LS was successful in 94% of patients in whom it was attempted. Operative times showed a learning curve for LS, with average times for the last ten cases (94 ± 35 min) significantly shorter than for the first ten (p= 0.01) and also shorter than for OS (103 ± 45 min). Postsurgical hospital stay was 2.9 ± 1.3 days for LS and 6.9 ± 3.0 days for OS (p < 0.001). Patients tolerated an oral diet 1.2 ± 0.5 days after LS and 3.2 + 0.7 days after OS (p < 0.001). Direct hospital cost was

Is the use of pan-computed tomography for blunt trauma justified? A prospective evaluation.

5,509 ± 3,636 for LS and