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A right hemihepatectomy is frequently required for surgical removal of colorectal liver metastases. Today, this procedure can be performed quite safely provided the remaining liver is free from significant disease including steatohepatitis due to prolonged cytostatic treatment. Standard surgical techniques for liver resection are described in surgical textbooks. However, each center has developed its own modifications of important details. In this paper, we describe our technique to resect the right liver lobe using conventional surgical techniques as well as a vascular stapler and an ultrasonic dissector. This technique has proven to be quite safe, and blood loss is most often not significant despite we do not routinely apply the Pringle's manoeuvre during the division of the liver parenchyma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transarterial chemotherapy infusion (TAI) with lipiodol is a palliative treatment for hepa-tocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes of TAI from a single scandinavian centre between 1995 to 2008. Methods: The study is a retrospective analyse of prospectively collected data. TAI (doxorubicin, 50 mg with lipiodol) was administrated every 6 weeks. After 5 treatments, a CT scan was performed, and if the disease was stable, (RECIST score) treatment was continued. Results: 57 patients with HCC were treated with TAI. Median age; 72 years (52-84), 41 (71%) men. 52 (91%) had Child-Pugh score A, and 5 (9%) had Child-Pugh B. Nine (16%) patients had a BCLC score A, 19 (33%) B, 29 (51 %) C, while none was classified as BCLC D. Twenty nine (51 %) patients had a tumour size ≥ 10 cm. In total 254 treatments were performed, a median of 4 (1-20) per patient. Treatment mortality was 0%. In 30 (53%) patients the treatment strategy was not completed due to deteriorating clinical conditions. Median survival was 17 months (2-108), 2, 3, and 5-years survival was 34%, 22%, and 13%, respectively. Patients that responded to treatment (n = 23) had a median survival of 26 (13-108) months compared to 8 (2-48) months for those not fulfilling the treatment plan, p < 0.05. Tumour size ≥ 10 cm, AFP ≥ 400 µg/l, and Child-Pugh class B or C were negative prognostic factors for survival, p < 0.05. Conclusions: The 5 year survival was 13%, and median survival 17 months. Treatment mortality was 0%. Patients that responded to treatment (40%) had a median survival of 26 months. TAI provides good palliation but selection of patients is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sinusoidal injury (SI) after oxaliplatin-based therapies for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) can increase postoperative morbidity. Preoperative methods to estimate SI are lacking. The aim of this study was to identify SI by evaluating portal vein haemodynamics. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging flowmetry (MRIF) was used to estimate portal vein haemodynamics in 29 patients with CRLM before liver surgery. Sinusoidal injury was evaluated from resected non-tumorous liver parenchyma according to the combined vascular injury (CVI) score of ≥3. Results: All patients with SI (six of 29) received oxaliplatin; however, a significant association could not be proven ( P= 0.148). Oxaliplatin-treated patients showed portal vein dilatation in both the SI and non-SI groups compared with patients who had not received oxaliplatin (Bonferroni corrected P= 0.003 and P= 0.039, respectively). Mean portal velocity tended to be lower in patients with SI compared with oxaliplatin-treated patients without SI (Bonferroni corrected P= 0.087). A mean portal velocity of ≤14.35 cm/s together with a cross-section area of ≥1.55 cm2 was found to predict SI with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 78%. Conclusions: Oxaliplatin treatment was associated with portal vein dilatation. Patients with SI showed a tendency towards decreased mean portal flow velocity. This may indicate that SI is associated with an increased resistance to blood flow in the liver parenchyma. Portal vein haemodynamic variables estimated by MRIF can identify patients without SI non-invasively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]