New method of hepatic regeneration

Postoperative liver failure (PLF) is the most feared and serious complication after extensive liver resections. We present an innovative surgical technique for the treatment of a patient with colorectal cancer and initially unresectable liver metastases. After completing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it was decided to perform simultaneous surgery. A left hemicolectomy and cleaning of the metastases in the left liver was performed. As the future liver remnant (FLR) was insufficient, it was decided to perform an in situ liver split and a right portal vein ligation. On the 6(th) day after the surgery a volumetric CT showed an increase greater than 40% of the FLR. The right hepatectomy was completed and the patient was discharged on the 11(th) day after surgery. The technique induced a rapid growth of the FLR, exceeding that reported using portal occlusion. If these findings are corroborated in future studies, this revolutionary technique could enable surgery to be performed in two stages on patients with initially unresectable liver disease during the same hospital admission and without PLF. (C) 2011 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.