Effects of portal vein embolization before major hepatectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Major hepatectomy can now be successfully performed after portal vein embolization, but the effects of portal vein embolization have not been clearly delineated. Our objective is to examine whether portal vein embolization really contributes to the success of major hepatectomy. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-eight patients underwent portal vein embolization and hepatectomy of two subsegments or more. They all belonged to a high-risk group according to a prognostic score. We selected 9 of 38 patients with liver metastases (PE-meta group) and 32 patients who had undergone hepatectomy without portal vein embolization (non-PE-meta group) during the study period to compare the serum levels of total bilirubin after hepatectomy. Fifteen of 38 patients had the levels of polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase and thrombin-antithrombin complex examined after hepatectomy (PE group) and so did 20 patients without portal vein embolization (non-PE group). RESULTS: The maximum levels of total bilirubin in non-PE-meta group correlated with the percentage of hepatic parenchyma to be resected. In the patients receiving portal vein embolization, the pre-PE and post-PE levels were both below the regression. Similar shifts were seen in the graphs of polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase and thrombin-antithrombin complex. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of preoperative portal vein embolization on safety in major hepatectomy were proved by its suppression of rise in total bilirubin, polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase and thrombin-antithrombin complex after hepatectomy.