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ABSTRACT: To assess the incidence and impact of biliary complications in recipients transplanted from donors after cardiac death (DCD) at one single large institution.
Shortage of available cadaveric organs is a significant limiting factor in liver transplantation (LT). The use of DCD offers the potential to increase the organ pool. However, early results with DCD liver grafts were associated with a greater incidence of ischemic cholangiopathy (IC), leading to several programs to abandoning this source of organs.
A retrospective analysis of a prospective database from April 2001 to 2010 focused on 167 consecutive DCD-LT. Each DCD transplant was matched with 2 brain death donors (DBD) grafts (n = 333) according to the period of transplantation. Primary outcome measures were biliary complications including the severity of complications, graft survival and patient survival. Minimum follow-up was 3 months.
Anastomotic stricture was the most common biliary complication (DCD = 30, 19% vs. DBD = 41, 13%). Most were treated endocoscopically (grade IIIa = 72%), whereas hepatico-jejunostomy (grade IIIb) was performed in 22%. Primary IC occurred in 4 (2.5%) recipients from the DCD group and was absent in the DBD group (P = 0.005). However, none of these patients required retransplantation. Patient and graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years were similar between DCD and DBD groups (P = 0.106, P = 0.138, P = 0.113, respectively).
The encouraging results with DCD-LT are probably due to the selection of DCD grafts and clear definition of warm ischemia.
Annals of surgery 11/2011; 254(5):716-22; discussion 722-3. · 7.90 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: With patients surviving longer after pancreatic resection, the challenges now is the management of the unresolved longer-term issues.
A 53-year-old woman with painless obstructive jaundice, underwent a pylorous preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy for a pT3N0M0 ampullary adenocarcinoma in 2001 (patchy chronic pancreatitis with mucinous metaplasia of background pancreatic duct epithelium and acinar atrophy were noted). Despite adjuvant chemotherapy, at month 54 she required a pulmonary wedge resection for metastatic adenocarcinoma, followed by a pulmonary relapse at 76 months when she underwent 6 neoadjuvant cycles of gemcitabine/capecitabine and a left pneumonectomy. Finally 7 years after the initial Whipple's, a single 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid pancreatic tail lesion led to completion pancreatectomy for a well-differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma with clear resection margins albeit peripancreatic adipose tissue infiltration. On review all resected tumour cells had identical immunophenotype (CK7+/CK20-/MUC1+/MUC2-) as that of the primary. She is currently asymptomatic on follow-up.
These findings suggest that in selected cases even in the presence of pulmonary metastasis, repeat resections could result in long-term survival of patients with metachronous ampullary cancer. Second, even ampullary tumours maybe should be regarded as index tumors in the presence of ductal precursor lesions in the resection specimen. Three distant metastases, particularly if long after the initial tumour, should instigate a search for metachronous tumour, especially in the presence of field change in the initial specimen. Risk-adapted follow-up protocols with recognition of such factors could result in cost-effective surveillance and potentially improved outcomes.
JOP: Journal of the pancreas 01/2011; 12(1):32-6.
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ABSTRACT: Pancreatitis is associated with arterial complications in 4%-10% of patients, with untreated mortality approaching 90%. Timely intervention at a specialist center can reduce the mortality to 15%. We present a single institution experience of selective embolization as first line management of bleeding pseudoaneurysms in pancreatitis.
Sixteen patients with pancreatitis and visceral artery pseudoaneurysms were identified from searches of the records of interventional angiography from January 2000 to June 2007. True visceral artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms arising as a result of post-operative pancreatic or biliary leak were excluded from the study.
In 50% of the patients, bleeding complicated the initial presentation of pancreatitis. Alcohol was the offending agent in 10 patients, gallstones in 3, trauma, drug-induced and idiopathic pancreatitis in one each. All 16 patients had a contrast CT scan and 15 underwent coeliac axis angiography. The pseudoaneurysms ranging from 0.9 to 9.0 cm affected the splenic artery in 7 patients: hepatic in 3, gastroduodenal and right gastric in 2 each, and left gastric and pancreaticoduodenal in 1 each. One patient developed spontaneous thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm. Fourteen patients had effective coil embolization of the pseudoaneurysm. One patient needed surgical exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm following difficulty in accessing the coeliac axis radiologically. There were no episodes of re-bleeding and no in-hospital mortality.
Pseudoaneurysms are unrelated to the severity of pancreatitis and major hemorrhage can occur irrespective of their size. Co-existent portal hypertension and sepsis increase the risk of surgery. Angiography and selective coil embolization is a safe and effective way to arrest the hemorrhage.
Hepatobiliary & pancreatic diseases international: HBPD INT 12/2010; 9(6):634-8. · 1.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to examine the use of pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy in patients who have undergone liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
Patients who underwent simultaneous or sequential pancreaticoduodenectomy after liver transplantation were identified from a prospective transplant database. Preoperative, perioperative, and follow-up data were collected by review of patients' medical records.
Four patients with PSC underwent simultaneous (1) or sequential (3) pancreaticoduodenectomy for the treatment of distal cholangiocarcinoma (2) or pancreatic adenocarcinoma (2). Postoperative complications occurred in two patients (1 pneumonia and 1 wound infection). Tumour resection margins were negative in all cases. Two patients with node-negative tumours were disease-free after 5 years and 23 months, and two patients with node-positive tumours died of recurrence after 5 and 10 months.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy after liver transplantation can be performed with low morbidity in specialist centres with expertise in both liver transplantation and major pancreatic surgery. Patients with resectable disease should be treated aggressively, although long-term results will be dictated by the histological stage of the tumour, particularly lymph node status.
World Journal of Surgery 05/2010; 34(9):2128-32. · 2.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A shortage of organs for liver transplantation has encouraged the development of advanced surgical strategies to increase the donor pool. We present a technical strategy that combines the established techniques of split liver transplantation and left lateral segment donation from living donors for adult recipients. This strategy could provide an additional source of organs for liver transplantation.
Liver Transplantation 08/2008; 14(7):932-4. · 3.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Chronic liver disease has been considered a contraindication to radical surgery for intra-abdominal tumors because of the risk of decompensation.
In a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer treated from January 2000 to December 2006 at our center, 4 patients were identified with operable pancreatic tumors and well-compensated chronic liver disease. The preoperative staging, decompression of the biliary tree, liver biopsy, Child-Turcot-Pugh and MELD scores were described.
All patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy successfully with minimal blood loss, and no peri-operative blood transfusions or liver decompensation. There was no postoperative mortality. Two patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. One patient died with recurrent disease at 18 months, one is alive with disease recurrence, and two are alive and disease free.
Patients with pancreatic cancer and well-compensated chronic liver disease should routinely be considered for radical surgery at specialist hepatobiliary centres with expertise available to manage complex liver disease.
Hepatobiliary & pancreatic diseases international: HBPD INT 03/2008; 7(1):82-5. · 1.08 Impact Factor
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Liver Transplantation 12/2006; 12(11):1720-2. · 3.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma predominantly involving the pancreas is a rare tumor and accounts for less than 0.7% of all pancreatic malignancies and 1% of extranodal lymphomas. Diagnosis of primary pancreatic lymphoma can be difficult because it may mimic carcinoma. The principal aims of this review were to highlight the difficulties encountered in making a diagnosis and to identify the role of surgery.
A PubMed search was conducted using the following terms: primary pancreatic lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the pancreas. Additional references were sourced from key articles.
A total of 89 reported cases of pancreatic lymphoma between 1951 and 2005 were reviewed. An accurate preoperative diagnosis of primary pancreatic lymphoma is not always possible. A complete response rate of 100% and a long-term survival rate of 94% have been reported with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy when compared with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50% and an overall 3-year disease-free survival rate of 44% with current chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or combined methods.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy may have a therapeutic role in association with chemotherapy.
Pancreas 09/2006; 33(2):192-4. · 2.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a clinical condition characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction secondary to an underlying systemic predisposition to thrombosis.
We reviewed our experience of 19 adult patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation for BCS from April 1988 to May 1999 to assess their long-term outcome and specific complications related to this procedure.
Of these patients, 13 presented with chronic and 6 with acute liver failure. At presentation predisposing factors included polycythemia rubra vera in five, an undefined myeloproliferative disorder in four, essential thrombocythemia in two, presence of lupus anticoagulant in one, antiphospholipid antibody positivity in one, post-gestational in one, oral contraceptive pill in one, and idiopathic in four. Five patients had undergone previous porto-systemic shunt. Of the 19 patients, 16 are alive at a median follow-up of 89 months (range 1-119) with 2 patients developing disease recurrence at 4 months and 7 years posttransplant, respectively. Four patients have been retransplanted: one for progressive graft dysfunction due to nodular regenerative hyperplasia secondary to azathioprine toxicity, two for hepatic artery thrombosis (one soon after and the other 47 months posttransplant), and one for recurrent BCS. Three patients have died: one from an intra-abdominal bleed secondary to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis 8 years posttransplant, another from acute myeloid leukemia at 6 years posttransplant, and the third patient from graft failure secondary to severe rejection 1 month posttransplant.
Liver transplantation for BCS provides good long-term survival with acceptable morbidity. Long-term survival may be prejudiced by progression of the underlying hematological disorders.
Transplantation 04/2002; 73(6):973-7. · 4.00 Impact Factor
