Which is the best technique for pancreaticoenteric reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy? A critical analysis

The definitive surgical management of periampullary tumors is a challenging endeavor. This article reviews the available data on the efficacy of various methods of pancreaticoenteric reconstruction designed for the prevention of pancreatic fistula (PF). A literature search of the Medline database was used to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) with pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). A total of two metaanalyses and four prospective RCTs were identified. Individual RCTs comparing PJ and PG allow the surgeons participating in the trial to choose technical modifications of one particular technique. As a result, there is no universal agreement as to whether one particular variation is safer and less prone to PF than the others. In addition, the majority of RCTs failed to stratify patient risk of PF. Further studies are therefore necessary to define the optimal technique of pancreatic reconstruction after PD conducted in high-volume centers by high-volume surgeons.     

Living donor liver transplantation in children: Should the adult donor be operated on by an adult or pediatric surgeon? Experience of a single pediatric center

Background/Purpose

Living donor liver transplantation has become a cornerstone for the treatment of children with end-stage hepatic dysfunction, especially within populations or countries with low rates of organ utilization from deceased donors. The objective is to report our experience with 185 living donors operated on by a team pediatric surgeons in a tertiary center for pediatric liver transplantation.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of medical records of donors of hepatic grafts for transplant undergoing surgery between June 1998 and March 2013.

Results

Over the last 14 years, 185 liver transplants were performed in pediatric recipients of grafts from living donors. Among the donors, 166 left lateral segments (89.7%), 18 left lobes without the caudate lobe (9.7%) and 1 right lobe (0.5%) were harvested. The donor age ranged from 16 to 53 years, and the weight ranged from 47 to 106 kg. In 10 donors, an additional graft of the donor inferior mesenteric vein was harvested to substitute for a hypoplastic recipient portal vein. The transfusion of blood products was required in 15 donors (8.1%). The mean hospital stay was 5 days. No deaths occurred, but complications were identified in 23 patients (12.4%): 9 patients experienced abdominal pain and severe gastrointestinal symptoms and 3 patients required reoperations. Eight donors presented with minor bile leaks that were treated conservatively, and 3 patients developed extra-peritoneal infections (1 wound collection, 1 phlebitis and 1 pneumonia). Eight grafts (4.3%) showed primary dysfunction resulting in recipient death (3 cases of fulminant hepatitis, 1 patient with metabolic disease, 1 patient with Alagille syndrome and 3 cases of biliary atresia in infants under 1 year old). There was no relation between donor complications and primary graft dysfunction (P = 0.6).

Conclusions

Living donor transplantation is safe for the donor and presents a low morbidity. The donor surgery may be performed by a team of trained pediatric surgeons.     

What is the best immunosuppression in living donor liver transplantation?

INTRODUCTION: As we have learned, there are no golden rules of immunosuppression in solid organ transplantation, and every transplant program is using its own regimen to prevent or treat rejection. We have retrospectively analyzed the incidence and severity of acute rejection in a consecutive series of living donor liver transplants. The major objective during the whole study period was to ultimately avoid any steroids from the beginning. METHODS: Twenty one adult patients and five children received 23 right, one left, and two left lateral lobe grafts from genetically or emotionally related living donors, including four ABO-incompatible pairs. The majority of patients had triple initial immunosuppression, based on tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil or sirolimus, and basiliximab or daclizumab. Except methylprednisolone administered before reperfusion in 13 patients, only seven had prednisolone after transplantation, and 12/26 had a completely steroid-free regimen. RESULTS: The overall incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection was 4/21 in adults (19%) and 4/5 in children (80%). Rejections were mild in five and moderate in three cases, respectively, and easily reversed with steroids in all patients. Different combinations of immunosuppressive drugs or ABO incompatibility did not seem to have an influence on the risk of rejection. CONCLUSION: Despite the small number of patients in this series, completely steroid-free triple-drug immunosuppression with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and basiliximab is safe and efficient to prevent acute rejection in adult recipients of living donor liver transplants. At least short-term administration of prednisolone should be considered in pediatric patients.     

Domino liver transplantation with double piggyback: is this the best technique? A case report

Sequential or domino liver transplantation is a well-established procedure for patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP). Donation for domino liver transplantation imposed the resection of the inferior vena cava along with the liver, requiring complete suprarenal vena cava clamping and usually the use of venovenous bypass. We describe a successful case in which it was possible to perform the FAP hepatectomy by the piggyback technique.     

Is microsurgical technique useful in biliary reconstruction of living donor liver transplantation?

Introduction

Biliary reconstruction remains the “Achilles' heel” of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). In the last decades, the technical aspects of biliary reconstruction have been debated for their impact on biliary complications in LDLT. A microsurgical technique in biliary reconstruction is more attractive.

Patients and methods

From December 2010 to June 2011, 15 primary LDLTs underwent duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction using a microscopic technique. External stents were inserted in all patients. All procedures were performed under a microscope by a single transplant microsurgeon.

Results

The time consumed for bile duct reconstruction using the microscopic technique was 35 minutes. There were 8 grafts with a single bile duct orifice and seven with two orifices. The average duct size was 3 mm in patients with two orifices and 5 mm in those with a single orifice. There was no bile leak or biliary stricture associated with the biliary reconstruction over a median 5-month follow-up. There were two cases of bile leakage from the cut hepatic surface.

Conclusion

The microscopic technique reduced early biliary complications. However, further technical advances are needed to decrease the time consumptions for the procedure.     

Open abdomen in gastrointestinal surgery: Which technique is the best for temporary closure during damage control?

AIM To compare the 3 main techniques of temporary closure of the abdominal cavity,vacuum assisted closure(vacuum-assisted closure therapy- VAC),Bogota bag and Barker technique,in damage control surgery.METHODS After systematic review of the literature,33 articles were selected to compare the efficiency of the three procedures.Criteria such as cost,infections,capacity of reconstruction of the abdominal wall,diseases associated with the technique,among others were analyzed.RESULTS The Bogota bag and Barker techniques present as advantage the availability of material and low cost,what is not observed in the VAC procedure.The VAC technique is the most efficient,not only because it reduces the tension on the boarders of the lesion,but also removes stagnant fluids and debris and acts at cellular level increasing cell proliferation and division.Bogota bag presents the higher rates of skin laceration and evisceration,greater need for a stent for draining fluids and wash-ups,higher rates of intestinal adhesion to the abdominal wall.The Barker technique presents lack of efficiency in closing the abdominal wall and difficulty on maintaining pressure on the dressing.The VAC dressing can generate irritation and dermatitis when the drape is applied,in addition to pain,infection and bleeding,as well as toxic shock syndrome,anaerobic sepsis and thrombosis.CONCLUSION The VAC technique,showed to be superior allowing a better control of liquid on the third space,avoiding complications such as fistula with small mortality,low infection rate,and easier capability on primary closure of the abdominal cavity.     

Complications of pediatric live-donor kidney transplantation: a single center’s experience in Egypt

Our objective was to study the complications of chronic renal failure (CRF) among pediatric live-donor kidney transplant recipients. Between March 1976 and December 2005, 1,785 live-donor kidney transplantations were carried out at our center. Of the recipients, 292 were 20 years old or younger (mean age 12.8 years, ranging from 4 years to 20 years). Clinical and laboratory parameters of these 292 patients were analyzed retrospectively. They were 182 boys and 110 girls. Patients who had received transplants before 1988 were treated with prednisolone and azathioprine as combined therapy. From 1988 to 1998, a triple regimen comprising prednisolone, azathioprine and cyclosporine A (CsA) was administered. Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) were introduced as primary therapy in 1998. Growth, anemia, infections, and surgical, cardiac, neurologic, bone and other medical complications were assessed. Triple-drug immunosuppression (prednisone + CsA + azathioprine) was used in 68.2% of transplants. Acute rejection rate was 47.6%; chronic rejection rate was 31%. Hypertension (62%) was the commonest complication. Anemia was diagnosed in 61%. A substantial proportion of patients (48%) were short, with height standard deviation scores (SDSs) of less than −1.88. The overall infection rate was high, and the majority (54%) was bacterial. Malignancy was diagnosed in eight (3%) patients. The incidence of urological complications was 14%, and that of vascular complications was 1%. Cardiac complications included left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in 47.9% of patients, left atrial enlargement (31.5%) and left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction (13.7% for each). Neuropathic changes were found in 19% of our cases, with the distal muscles of lower limbs more affected. Other complications included avascular bone necrosis in 8% (all of them in the hip joint) and bone loss in 60% of patients. We concluded that, despite the long-term success of pediatric renal transplantation in a developing country, there is a risk of significant morbidity. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.     

Modulation of portal graft inflow: a necessity in adult living-donor liver transplantation?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of modulating the recipient portal inflow (rPVF) through perioperative ligation of the splenic artery in adult living-donor liver transplantation (ALDLTx) by focusing on vascular complications, intractable ascites production, and the prevention of small-for-size syndrome (SFSS). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: In ALDLTx, portal graft flow is enhanced to at least twice the donor value, raising the total liver inflow. Recipient hepatic arterial flow (rHAF) is lower than expected. Portal hyperperfusion of small grafts in larger recipients is thought to be one of the main causes of posttransplant graft dysfunction/SFSS. METHODS: Seventeen ALDLTx were reviewed for a minimum of 2 months. Patients were divided retrospectively into two groups: G1 (n = 7), without modulation of rPVF, and G2 (n = 10), with splenic artery ligation to decrease rPVF perioperatively. Donor and recipient hepatic hemodynamics were evaluated against graft function and outcome, including correlations between rPVF, graft weight, graft:recipient body weight ratio, and recipient weight. RESULTS: Following portal and arterial reperfusion, mean rPVF and rPVF/graft weight were much higher than in the donors, whereas mean rHAF and rHAF/graft weight were much lower. No differences were found between groups, except for rPVF and rHAF, which were much more higher and lower, respectively, before splenic artery ligation. In G1 patients, SFSS was seen in two patients and vascular complications occurred in two others. In G2 patients, splenic artery ligation permitted a significant decrease in rPVF, an improvement in rHAF, and the resolution of refractory ascites. Neither SFSS nor vascular complications were seen in G2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: When a suboptimal graft:recipient body weight ratio is accompanied by high rPVF in ALDLTx, the portal flow should be modulated perioperatively; splenic artery ligation is a simple and safe method that is sufficient to allow this modulation in most patients.     

Total hepatectomy and liver transplantation for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas – a single center experience with ten patients

Background: Metastatic neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors have a poor prognosis. We have studied retrospectively the efficacy of liver transplantation as ultimate therapy of otherwise untreatable symptomatic neuroendocrine hepatic metastases originating in the pancreas. Methods: We reviewed our experience of liver transplantation (LTx) for hepatic metastases of neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors in ten patients. The indication for liver grafting was seen in cases of irresectable metastases and when patients were suffering from otherwise untreatable tumor-associated symptoms due to massive hormonal release or large intra-abdominal tumor bulk. Results: In four patients, the primary tumors had been removed before LTx, in five patients simultaneously with LTx and in one case 46 months after grafting. There was no operative mortality. After hepatectomy and LTx, all patients had complete relief of symptoms and all preoperatively increased hormonal levels returned to normal. In nine of ten patients, the transplant procedure had the potential for cure, whereas, in one patient, the primary tumor had remained in situ at LTx and was removed 46 months later by an R2-resection. At present, nine patients are alive with a median follow-up of 33 months (range 13.5 months to 117 months). The one patient in whom the primary tumor was removed after transplantation died due to massive intra-abdominal tumor spread 68 months after LTx. Currently, two patients are without evidence of disease, but one of them after re-operation because of lymph-node metastases 8 months after transplantation. The longest disease-free survival is now more than 7 years. In seven of nine patients, tumor recurred between 1.5 months and 48 months after transplantation. Conclusions: Patients with otherwise untreatable symptomatic neuroendocrine hepatic metastases of pancreatic origin may benefit from total hepatectomy and liver transplantation with regard to symptomatic relief and long-term survival, despite frequent recurrence of disease. In some patients, liver transplantation may even offer the chance for cure. Received: 8 January 1999 Accepted: 22 April 1999