Anatomical Resection of the Liver for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a New Ultrasound Guided Approach

University of Milan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Treatments: Procedure: IOUS-GUIDED INTRAHEPATIC VESSEL COMPRESSION

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00829335

IOUS-COMP GENERAL

Details and patient eligibility

About

Anatomical resection is the gold standard approach for liver resection in patients with HCC. A new method for that by means of IOUS-guided finger compression has been devised.

Full description

We herein describe a novel technique for the demarcation of the resection area by means of IOUS-guided finger compression to systematically accomplish anatomical segmental and subsegmental resections.

Using the IOUS, the tumor and the level targeted for compression are identified. Than, under the IOUS guidance, the surgeon compresses bilaterally the liver at the targeted position resulting in the compression of the portal pedicle feeding the tumor previously identified. This maneuver is constantly monitored in real-time just using the same microconvex probe, and it is maintained until the surface of the targeted liver area begins to discolor, at that time the first assistant marks the discolored area with the electrocautery, and the compression is released. Once the area is demarcated, liver dissection is started under intermittent Pringle's maneuver.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients suitable for surgical approach carries of HCC
• Serum bilirubin level lower than 1.5 mg/dl

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of ascites
• Serum bilirubin level equal or higher than 1.6 mg/dl
• Conditions (size, vascular relation, or infiltration) demanding resection larger than a segmental area
• Tumor thrombus in portal or hepatic veins

Trial design

30 participants in 1 patient group

HCC patients

Description:

According with the investigators previously reported selection flow-chart , patients suitable for surgical approach were those with HCC without ascites, without or with esophageal varices for which preoperative endoscopic eradication could be carried out successfully, and with serum bilirubin level lower than 1.5 mg/dl. Potential candidates to systematic segmental or subsegmental resection by IOUS-guided finger compression were considered patients with single HCC located in one or 2 adjacent segments without portal thrombosis, and anyway not demanding for its complete removal a sectional resection or wider.

Treatment:

Procedure: IOUS-GUIDED INTRAHEPATIC VESSEL COMPRESSION