Zhi-qiang Huang

Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe

OBJECTIVE Surgical resection in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) originating in the caudate lobe is challenging because of its deep location in the liver and possibly worse prognosis. We evaluated the overall survival of patients with solitary caudate small HCC who underwent laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA). METHODS This is a retrospective study on patients who underwent laparoscopic RFA (RFA) for solitary small HCC. RESULTS Twenty-seven (27) patients underwent laparoscopic caudate lobe RFA for solitary small HCC. The average tumor size was 2.8 cm. The overall survival rates were 96.3%, 88.9%, 74.1%, 74.1% and 62.9% at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively. The disease-free survival after RFA was 92.6%, 52.9%, 44.4%, 33.3% and 33.3% at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively. Most common postoperative complication was pleural effusion (7/27, 25.9%), and followed by transient hemoglobinuria (2/27, 7.4%). CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic RFA for caudate lobe small HCC is a safe and feasible procedure without perioperative mortality. Through a systematic review of other therapeutic options on caudate HCC, its overall outcome is comparable to that of surgical resection.

Aggressive hepatectomy for the curative treatment of bilobar involvement of type IV-A bile duct cyst.

Objective:To analyze the risk and benefit of aggressive hepatectomy for the curative treatment of bilobar bile duct cysts (BDCs) of type IV-A. Background:Conventional surgical treatment of bilobar BDCs of type IV-A is extrahepatic cyst excision, followed by biliodigestive anastomosis. The role of hepatectomy in the treatment of bilobar BDCs remains unclear. Methods:Between January 2006 and December 2011, a total of 28 patients with bilobar BDCs who underwent an aggressive hepatectomy were identified from a prospective database. Perioperative and long-term outcomes in these patients were compared with 18 patients with bilobar BDCs who received conventional surgical treatment. Results:Patient characteristics such as age, sex, and clinical presentation were similar in both groups. Cystic dilatation of bile ducts was curatively resected in all 28 patients undergoing aggressive hepatectomy. Postoperative morbidity (57.1% vs 22.2%, P = 0.020), but not mortality (3.6% vs 0%, P = 1.000), in patients who underwent aggressive hepatectomy was significantly increased when compared with those who received conventional surgical treatment. Clearance rate of intrahepatic stones was significantly higher after aggressive hepatectomy than that after conventional surgical treatment (100.0% vs 45.5%, P < 0.001). Twenty-seven of 28 patients (96.4%), except 1 patient who met in-hospital death, achieved a symptom-free status after aggressive hepatectomy during a mean follow-up of 31 months. In contrast, during a mean follow-up of 37 months, 7 patients (38.9%, 7/18) remained free of biliary symptoms after conventional surgical treatment. The long-term outcomes between aggressive hepatectomy and conventional surgical treatment were significantly different (P < 0.001). In addition, no malignant transformation occurred after aggressive hepatectomy. However, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has developed in the remnant BDC in 2 of 18 patients (11.1%) receiving conventional surgical treatment during follow-up. Conclusions:Aggressive hepatectomy, a challenging procedure, provides an efficient treatment option for some selected patients with bilobar BDCs of type IV-A. The role of aggressive hepatectomy in the curative treatment of bilobar BDCs of type IV-A should be paid particular attention in the future.

Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy hemorrhage risk factors, managements and outcomes

BACKGROUND Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) hemorrhage (PPH) is an uncommon but serious complication. This retrospective study analyzed the risk factors, managements and outcomes of the patients with PPH. METHODS A total of 840 patients with PD between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 73 patients had PPH: 19 patients had early PPH and 54 had late PPH. The assessment included the preoperative history of disease, pancreatic status and surgical techniques. Other postoperative complications were also evaluated. RESULTS The incidence of PPH was 8.7% (73/840). There were no independent risk factors for early PPH. Male gender (OR=4.40, P=0.02), diameter of pancreatic duct (OR=0.64, P=0.01), end-to-side invagination pancreaticojejunostomy (OR=5.65, P=0.01), pancreatic fistula (OR=2.33, P=0.04) and intra-abdominal abscess (OR=12.19, P<0.01) were the independent risk factors for late PPH. Four patients with early PPH received conservative treatment and 12 were treated surgically. As for patients with late PPH, the success rate of medical therapy was 27.8% (15/54). Initial endoscopy was operated in 12 patients (22.2%), initial angiography in 19 (35.2%), and relaparotomy in 15 (27.8%). Eventually, PPH resulted in 19 deaths. The main causes of death were multiple organ failure, hemorrhagic shock, sepsis and uncontrolled rebleeding. CONCLUSIONS Careful and ongoing observation of hemorrhagic signs, especially within the first 24 hours after PD or within the course of pancreatic fistula or intra-abdominal abscess, is recommended for patients with PD and a prompt management is necessary. Although endoscopy and angiography are the standard procedures for the management of PPH, surgical approach is still irreplaceable. Aggressive prevention of hemorrhagic shock and re-hemorrhage is the key to treat PPH.

''One-Off'' Complete Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a ''High-Risk Location'' Adjacent to the Major Bile Duct and Hepatic Blood Vessel

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an effective, minimally invasive treatment option for unresectable hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) located in high-risk areas or for patients with poor hepatic functional reserve. However, for tumors adjacent to major bile ducts and hepatic blood vessels, complete ablation is difficult to achieve for fear of causing a postoperative bile leak, bilioma or bile duct stenosis. Therefore, RFA is often combined with multiple alcohol injections to eliminate residual tumor tissues in adjacent bile duct or blood vessels; however, the injections directly affect the efficacy and prognosis of RFA. This study reports three successful “one-off” cases of complete ablation of HCCs adjacent to major bile ducts and blood vessels in neighboring hepatic segments or hepatic lobes, highlighting both the efficacy and safety of RFA for HCC tumors in these high-risk locations.

Effects of intensive insulin therapy combined with low molecular weight heparin anticoagulant therapy on severe pancreatitis.

The current study explored the effects of intensive insulin therapy (IIT) combined with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) anticoagulant therapy on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). A total of 134 patients with SAP that received treatment between June 2008 and June 2012 were divided randomly into groups A (control; n=33), B (IIT; n=33), C (LMWH; n=34) and D (IIT + LMWH; n=34). Group A were treated routinely. Group B received continuous pumped insulin, as well as the routine treatment, to maintain the blood sugar level between 4.4 and 6.1 mmol/l. Group C received a subcutaneous injection of LMWH every 12 h in addition to the routine treatment. Group D received IIT + LMWH and the routine treatment. The white blood cell count, hemodiastase, serum albumin, arterial partial pressure of oxygen and prothrombin time were recorded prior to treatment and 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after the initiation of treatment. The intestinal function recovery time, incidence rate of multiple organ failure (MOF), length of hospitalization and fatality rates were observed. IIT + LMWH noticeably increased the white blood cell count, hemodiastase level, serum albumin level and the arterial partial pressure of oxygen in the patients with SAP (P<0.05). It markedly shortened the intestinal recovery time and the length of stay and reduced the incidence rate of MOF, the surgery rate and the fatality rate (P<0.05). It did not aggravate the hemorrhagic tendency of SAP (P>0.05). IIT + LMWH had a noticeably improved clinical curative effect on SAP compared with that of the other treatments.

Phenoxodiol Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Gemcitabine in Gallbladder Cancer Through Suppressing Akt/mTOR Pathway

Gallbladder cancer is the most common and aggressive type of biliary tract cancer with poor prognosis due to both its inability to be detected at an early stage and its poor sensitivity to conventional therapies. Gemcitabine has been more and more widely used for the treatment of gallbladder cancer; however, the response rate is not satisfactory. Phenoxodiol is an isoflavone analog with antitumor activity against a variety of cancers. In our current work, we examined the effect of phenoxodiol on gallbladder cancer cells and to determine whether phenoxodiol can enhance the antitumor activity of gemcitabine in gallbladder cancer. The combined treatment of phenoxodiol and gemcitabine was more effective at inhibiting cell proliferation than either chemotherapeutic agent treatment alone. Meanwhile, phenoxodiol arrests cell cycle progression in the G0–G1 phase. In addition, phenoxodiol and gemcitabine inhibit the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt-signaling pathway as well as modulate the expression of apoptosis-relevant molecules. Furthermore, the antitumor effect of combination treatment with phenoxodiol and gemcitabine on gallbladder cancer was evaluated using a murine gallbladder cancer xenograft model and the results suggested that phenoxodiol enhanced the in vivo antitumor activity of gemcitabine. Taken together, our study suggested that the combination treatment with phenoxodiol and gemcitabine might offer optimal therapeutic benefits for patients with gallbladder cancer.

Outcomes of liver transplantation for end-stage biliary disease: A comparative study with end-stage liver disease

AIM To evaluate the outcomes of patients with end-stage biliary disease (ESBD) who underwent liver transplantation, to define the concept of ESBD, the criteria for patient selection and the optimal operation for decision-making. METHODS Between June 2002 and June 2014, 43 patients with ESBD from two Chinese organ transplantation centres were evaluated for liver transplantation. The causes of liver disease were primary biliary cirrhosis (n = 8), cholelithiasis (n = 8), congenital biliary atresia (n = 2), graft-related cholangiopathy (n = 18), Carolis disease (n = 2), iatrogenic bile duct injury (n = 2), primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 1), intrahepatic bile duct paucity (n = 1) and Alagilles syndrome (n = 1). The patients with ESBD were compared with an end-stage liver disease (ESLD) case control group during the same period, and the potential prognostic values of multiple demographic and clinical variables were assessed. The examined variables included recipient age, sex, pre-transplant clinical status, pre-transplant laboratory values, operation condition and postoperative complications, as well as patient and allograft survival rates. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves, and the rates were compared using log-rank tests. All variables identified by univariate analysis with P values < 0.100 were subjected to multivariate analysis. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to determine the effect of the study variables on outcomes in the study group. RESULTS Patients in the ESBD group had lower model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)/paediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) scores and a higher frequency of previous abdominal surgery compared to patients in the ESLD group (19.2 ± 6.6 vs 22.0 ± 6.5, P = 0.023 and 1.8 ± 1.3 vs 0.1 ± 0.2, P = 0.000). Moreover, the operation time and the time spent in intensive care were significantly higher in the ESBD group than in the ESLD group (527.4 ± 98.8 vs 443.0 ± 101.0, P = 0.000, and 12.74 ± 6.6 vs 10.0 ± 7.5, P = 0.000). The patient survival rate in the ESBD group was not significantly different from that of the ESBD group at 1, 3 and 5 years (ESBD: 90.7%, 88.4%, 79.4% vs ESLD: 84.9%, 80.92%, 79.0%, χ(2) = 0.194, P = 0.660). The graft-survival rates were also similar between the two groups at 1, 3 and 5 years (ESBD: 90.7%, 85.2%, 72.7% vs ESLD: 84.9%, 81.0%, 77.5%, χ(2) = 0.003, P = 0.958). Univariate analysis identified MELD/PELD score (HR = 1.213, 95%CI: 1.081-1.362, P = 0.001) and bleeding volume (HR = 0.103, 95%CI: 0.020-0.538, P = 0.007) as significant factors affecting the outcomes of patients in the ESBD group. However, multivariate analysis revealed that MELD/PELD score (HR = 1.132, 95%CI: 1.005-1.275, P = 0.041) was the only negative factor that was associated with short survival time. CONCLUSION MELD/PELD criteria do not adequately measure the clinical characteristics and staging of ESBD. The allocation system based on MELD/PELD criteria should be re-evaluated for patients with ESBD.

Enclosed Passive Infraversion Lavage–Drainage System (EPILDS): A Novel Safe Technique for Local Management of Early Stage Bile Leakage and Pancreatic Fistula Post Pancreatoduodenectomy

This study’s objective was to test the new drainage apparatus called enclosed passive infraversion lavage–drainage system (EPILDS) in the treatment of bile leakage and pancreatic fistula Post Pancreatoduodenectomys. The EPILDS device has a design of a siphon. The inlet bag that contains the rinse liquid is put lower than the abdominal lacuna to be washed but higher than the outlet bag. The hydrostatic pressure difference between the inlet and outlet bags constitutes the driving force of the flow. The three-way cock valves are installed in the inlet and outlet tubes to facilitate the washing of occluded tubes. Two side by side Penrose drainage tubes were placed during the operation. One tube passed through the posterior side of pancreatico-jejunal and biliary-jejunal anastomoses, right paracolic gutter, and exited through an opening made in the right lower abdomen. Second tube came from the smaller sac, went through the anterior side of pancreatico-jejunal and biliary-jejunal anastomoses, and exited through an opening made in the left upper abdomen. Using this system, we successfully treated two patients. Both inlet and outlet volumes were observed to verify that the outlet exceeds the inlet volume. In conclusion, EPILDS has a simple and practical design. It changes the active washing process into a passive one, in which the input is controlled by the exiting fluid. This is the effective and safe system for treatment of severe bile leakage and pancreatic fistula at the early postoperative stage.