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Aim Of the Study: Liver retraction during laparoscopic fundoplication is important for obtaining an optimal space. Several methods have been developed, but the risks and benefits are unclear. We compared three different approaches and evaluated their safety and utility.Methods: Forty-three neurologically impaired patients who underwent laparoscopic fundoplication between 2005 and 2018 were classified into three groups: A, snake retractor method, n = 18; B, crural suture method, n = 13; C, needle grasper method, n = 12. Patients' characteristics and outcomes were reviewed.Main Results: The liver retraction time was significantly shorter in group C than in A or B (p < 0.05). The operative times were shorter in groups B and C than in A. There were no significant differences in the liver enzyme levels. The liver enzyme levels increased temporarily but improved within a week. The C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower in group B than in A or C (p < 0.05).Conclusions: The most convenient method was the needle grasper method, as the other two approaches create conflict with the operator's forceps. The crural suture method damages the liver less, but requires higher surgical skill levels. It is important to select the appropriate method according to the operator's skill and the patient's size and deformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Of the Study: We previously showed an increased number of smaller portal vein (PV) branches in the portal areas of liver biopsy specimens of biliary atresia (BA) patients. We evaluated the correlation between this histopathological feature and the prognosis.Patients and Methods: Twenty-five consecutive patients with BA encountered between 2000 and 2012 were classified into three prognostic groups based on their postoperative outcomes: Excellent (n = 11) for native-liver survivors with a normal liver function, Good (n = 6) for native-liver survivors with liver dysfunction, and Poor (n = 8) for survivors after liver transplant or on a waiting list. Data from morphometrical analyses, including the fibrotic portal area, numbers of PVs, diameter and total area of PV branches, were statistically compared among the three groups.Main Results: The number of PV branches per unit area of the whole-liver specimen in the poor prognostic group was significantly lower than that in the excellent group (3.1 ± 0.6 vs. 5.2 ± 2.0/mm2, p = 0.03). There were no significant differences in the other parameters.Conclusions: This is the first report on the relationships between morphometrically analyzed PV branches and the postoperative course in BA patients. The portal venous system is involved as the primary lesion in BA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Portal hypertension in patients with biliary atresia (BA) is generally thought to result from portal vein (PV) narrowing secondary to hepatic fibrosis. To test the hypothesis, we morphometrically analyzed the PVs and hepatic arteries (HAs).Methods: Morphometrical analyses of 25 BA and 26 non-BA liver biopsy specimens from patients treated from 2000 to 2014. The total specimen area, the fibrotic portal area, vessel diameter and medial thickness of the HAs were measured.Results: The PV diameter in BA patients was significantly smaller than that in non-BA patients. In BA, the numbers of normal-sized PVs and capillaries were decreased and increased, respectively. The PV diameter was not significantly correlated with the degree of fibrosis. We newly found that medial hypertrophy and the HA diameter increased with the number of endothelial cells in BA. The PV diameter was not significantly correlated with the medial thickness and was positively correlated with the HA diameter in BA.Conclusions: The narrowing of the PV is unlikely to occur secondarily to liver fibrosis. The medial hypertrophy of the HA is not correlated with the decrease in the PV blood flow. These findings seem to be unique to the primary vascular lesions of BA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]