Consensus care recommendations for alfapump® in cirrhotic patients with refractory or recurrent ascites.

BACKGROUND The alfapump® is an implantable class III medical device that pumps ascitic fluid from the peritoneal space to the urinary bladder from where it is excreted. The pump reduces or abrogates the need for repeated paracentesis in patients with recurrent or refractory ascites. AIMS To improve outcomes for alfapump® implantation and pre- and post-implant patient management in both clinical trial and real-world settings by development of consensus recommendations. METHODS The alfapump® working group consisting of hepatologists and surgeons with extensive experience in implantation of the alfapump® and patient management met on two occasions: (1) to determine the key areas where recommendations should be made; and (2) to discuss the experiences of the working group within those areas and formulate draft statements. Developed statements were submitted to the group and consensus sought on relevance and wording through a collaborative iterative approach in order to consolidate the recommendations into consensus statements. Only recommendations agreed upon unanimously were included. RESULTS Twenty-three consensus recommendations were developed in the areas of pre-implantation procedure, (three statements), surgical implant procedure (11 statements), immediate post-implant care (three statements) and long-term management (six statements). CONCLUSIONS The consensus statements are a valuable reference resource for physicians managing patients with the alfapump® and for those considering management strategies for patients with refractory ascites

Consensus care recommendations for alfapump® in cirrhotic patients with refractory or recurrent ascites

BACKGROUND: The alfapump® is an implantable class III medical device that pumps ascitic fluid from the peritoneal space to the urinary bladder from where it is excreted. The pump reduces or abrogates the need for repeated paracentesis in patients with recurrent or refractory ascites. AIMS: To improve outcomes for alfapump® implantation and pre- and post-implant patient management in both clinical trial and real-world settings by development of consensus recommendations. METHODS: The alfapump® working group consisting of hepatologists and surgeons with extensive experience in implantation of the alfapump® and patient management met on two occasions: (1) to determine the key areas where recommendations should be made; and (2) to discuss the experiences of the working group within those areas and formulate draft statements. Developed statements were submitted to the group and consensus sought on relevance and wording through a collaborative iterative approach in order to consolidate the recommendations into consensus statements. Only recommendations agreed upon unanimously were included. RESULTS: Twenty-three consensus recommendations were developed in the areas of pre-implantation procedure, (three statements), surgical implant procedure (11 statements), immediate post-implant care (three statements) and long-term management (six statements). CONCLUSIONS: The consensus statements are a valuable reference resource for physicians managing patients with the alfapump® and for those considering management strategies for patients with refractory ascites

Higher Postoperative Mortality and Inferior Survival After Right-Sided Liver Resection for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma:Left-Sided Resection is Preferred When Possible

BACKGROUND: A right- or left-sided liver resection can be considered in about half of patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA), depending on tumor location and vascular involvement. This study compared postoperative mortality and long-term survival of right- versus left-sided liver resections for pCCA.METHODS: Patients who underwent major liver resection for pCCA at 25 Western centers were stratified according to the type of hepatectomy-left, extended left, right, and extended right. The primary outcomes were 90-day mortality and overall survival (OS).RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2022, 1701 patients underwent major liver resection for pCCA. The 90-day mortality was 9% after left-sided and 18% after right-sided liver resection (p &lt; 0.001). The 90-day mortality rates were 8% (44/540) after left, 11% (29/276) after extended left, 17% (51/309) after right, and 19% (108/576) after extended right hepatectomy (p &lt; 0.001). Median OS was 30 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 27-34) after left and 23 months (95% CI 20-25) after right liver resection (p &lt; 0.001), and 33 months (95% CI 28-38), 27 months (95% CI 23-32), 25 months (95% CI 21-30), and 21 months (95% CI 18-24) after left, extended left, right, and extended right hepatectomy, respectively (p &lt; 0.001). A left-sided resection was an independent favorable prognostic factor for both 90-day mortality and OS compared with right-sided resection, with similar results after excluding 90-day fatalities.CONCLUSIONS: A left or extended left hepatectomy is associated with a lower 90-day mortality and superior OS compared with an (extended) right hepatectomy for pCCA. When both a left and right liver resection are feasible, a left-sided liver resection is preferred.</p

Dynamic tracking of stem cells in an acute liver failure model

AIM: To investigate a dual labeling technique, which would enable real-time monitoring of transplanted embryonic stem cell (ESC) kinetics, as well as long-term tracking

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography better identifies pancreatic tumor vascularization than helical CT

BACKGROUND: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a recently introduced field of ultrasonography (US). To assess the ability of CEUS to identify the vascularization of solid pancreatic tumors in comparison to helical CT. METHODS: Forty-two resected pancreatic tumors, found at US, were studied with CEUS and helical CT. The tumor enhancement at CEUS was scored in comparison to the baseline aspect of the lesion and/or the extralesional pancreatic parenchyma together with the adjacent vessels during the dynamic study. All the lesions underwent pathological examination using H&E stains and CD34 markers with an evaluation of the microvessel density (MVD). The correlation of CEUS and helical CT with the MVD of the lesions was established with Spearman's test. RESULTS: The correlation of CEUS with the MVD of the lesions was significantly superior (Rs = 0.914; p < 0.0001) to that of helical CT (Rs = 0.635; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: CEUS is better than helical CT in the identification of the vascularization of solid pancreatic tumors. CEUS, when the pancreatic gland is optimally visualized, should be therefore considered a complementary imaging modality in the characterization of pancreatic tumors. CEUS can be a valid onco-imaging modality for quantifying tumoral vascularization in a noninvasive and accurate way

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for an Explanted Organ - The Logistical Challenges

Single liver metastases of colorectal cancer can be cured by surgery; disseminated liver metastases are incurable. A research group in Pavia, Italy, used BNCT as an experimental method to irradiate in curative intention the explanted liver of patients suffering from disseminated hepatic metastases. The situation in Pavia, where a reactor with aspecially adapted thermal column and the hospital are closeby, is unique. For the purpose of the present study, it was necessary to investigate how the Pavia experience can be repeated with transplantation centers located at distance from a reactor. Some basic investigations of the logistics of such a procedure are reported.JRC.F.7-Energy systems evaluatio

Resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: depiction of tumoral margins at contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

To evaluate if contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) improves the depiction of tumoral margins of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in relation to tumor enhancement, using pathology as criterion standard. METHODS: Two hundred forty-one patients affected by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were investigated at CEUS with a second-generation contrast medium of sulfur-hexafluoride microbubbles. Sixty-seven (27.8%) of 241 tumors were resected. By consensus, 2 radiologists reviewed the CEUS examination results of the 67 tumors judging the enhancement as low (hypovascular lesions, hypoechoic tothe adjacent parenchyma) or high (iso- or hypervascular lesions, iso- or hyperechoic to the adjacent parenchyma). The resected tumors were evaluated at pathology for the presence of positive neoplastic (R+) or negative neoplastic (R-) resected margins. RESULTS: Of the 67 resected tumors, 35 (52.3%) were R-, whereas 32 (47.7%) were R+. Moreover, at CEUS, of the 67 resected tumors, 43 (64.1%) were hypovascular with low enhancement and 24 (35.8%) were iso-hypervascular with high enhancement. In the R- group, 27 (77.1%) of 35 tumors were hypovascular. In the R+ group, 16 (50%) of 32 lesions were hypovascular. CONCLUSIONS: At CEUS the depiction of tumoral margins of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is more accurate in low enhancement than in high enhancement. The pattern of enhancement of pancreatic adenocarcinoma influences the depiction of tumoral margins at CEUS

A simple scoring model for predicting early graft failure and postoperative mortality after liver transplantation

Introduction and objectives: Graft failure and postoperative mortality are the most serious complications after liver transplantation. The aim of this study is to establish a prognostic scoring system to predict graft and patient survival based on serum transaminases levels that are routinely used during the postoperative period in human cadaveric liver transplants. Patients and methods: Postoperative graft failure and patient mortality after liver transplant were analyzed from a consecutive series of 1299 patients undergoing cadaveric liver transplantation. This was correlated with serum liver function tests and the rate of reduction in transaminase levels over the first postoperative week. A cut-off transaminase level correlating with graft and patient survival was calculated and incorporated into a scoring system. Results: Aspartate-aminotransferase (AST) on postoperative day one showed significant correlation with early graft failure for levels above 723 U/dl and early postoperative mortality for levels above 750 U/dl. AST reduction rate (day 1 to 3) greater than 1.8 correlated with reduced graft failure and greater than 2 with mortality. Alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) reduction in the first 48 h post transplantation also correlated with outcomes. Conclusion: A scoring system with these three variables allowed us to classify our patients into three groups of risk for early graft failure and mortality