Partial splenic embolization in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma: Effects on portal hemodynamics

Partial splenic embolization (PSE) was performed on patients with liver cirrhosis to control hypersplenism and gastroesophageal varices. In this study, we evaluated the effects of PSE on the portal hemodynamics and hepatic function of 17 cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The mean splenic volume and the peak platelet count increased significantly and the splenic vein pressure decreased significantly after PSE. However, the portal blood flow did not change. Changes in the 15-min retention rate of indocyanine green and the arterial ketone body ratio were not significant, but the redox tolerance index increased from 0.24 ± 0.28 × 10^?2 to 0.59 ± 0.35 × 10^?2. These results suggest that PSE may reduce perioperative risks in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who are candidates for hepatic resection.