The delicate rebalanced hemostatic status of liver transplant recipients may lead to both hemorrhagic and thrombotic tendencies in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between pretransplant procoagulants/ anticoagulants and posttransplant bleeding and thrombosis among living donor liver transplant recipients. The study subjects were 403 consecutive recipients with chronic liver disease. Perioperative variables, including preoperative values for procoagulants and anticoagulants, were assessed to determine their association with posttransplant hemorrhaging and thrombosis. There were 35 hemorrhagic complications (9%) and 21 thrombotic complications (5%). In logistic regression analyses, a higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (P 5 0.01) and a lower fibrinogen value (P < 0.001) were independently associated with hemorrhaging, whereas only a lower protein C value (P < 0.001) was independently associated with thrombosis. In a receiver operating characteristic analysis, a low preoperative protein C value (with the most accurate cutoff value being 25%) was a reliable predictor of thrombotic complications after liver transplantation (area under the curve 5 0.921, P < 0.001, sensitivity 5 0.9, specificity 5 0.8). In conclusion, the decreases in both procoagulants and anticoagulants in liver transplant recipients may additively result in a delicate hemostatic balance and predispose patients to both hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications. A lower preoperative protein C value (<25%) was demonstrated to be a significant and reliable predictor of postoperative thrombotic complications in liver transplant recipients. Liver Transpl 21:258-265, 2015. V C 2014 AASLD.
Even though S-1 is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, there is no evidence for its use in an adjuvant setting for biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). Patients who underwent surgical treatment for BTC between August 2007 and December 2018 were selected. Propensity score matching was performed between patients who received S-1 as adjuvant chemotherapy (S-1 group) and those who underwent surgical treatment alone (observation group). Of 170 eligible patients, 38 patients were selected in each group after propensity score matching. Among those in the matched cohort, both the median recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in the S-1 group were significantly longer than those in the observation group (RFS, 61.2 vs. 13.1 months, p = 0.033; OS, not available vs. 28.2 months, p = 0.003). A multivariate analysis of the OS revealed that perineural invasion and adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors. According to a subgroup analysis of the OS, the S-1 group showed significantly better prognoses than the observation group among patients with perineural invasion (p < 0.001). S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy might improve the prognosis of BTC, especially in patients with perineural invasion.
BackgroundDrip infusion cholangiography with computed tomography (DIC‐CT) is a major preoperative modality used for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).MethodsThis study included 218 patients for whom preoperative DIC‐CT images were obtained prior to undergoing LC. The association between gallbladder (GB) opacification in DIC‐CT and the operative time was assessed.ResultsThe GB opacification on the DIC‐CT images was classified as follows: Grade 0, homogeneous opacification; Grade 1, heterogeneous opacification; Grade 2, only cystic duct can be identified; and Grade 3, no opacification. Images obtained for the 218 patients showed 41 (18.8%) with Grade 0, 91 (41.7%) with Grade 1, 54 (24.8%) with Grade 2, and 32 (14.7%) with Grade 3. The operative time and intraoperative blood loss were significantly longer and larger, respectively, in cases classified as Grade 2 or 3 (GB negative) compared with cases classified as Grade 0 or 1 (GB positive). We created an LC difficulty score based on the following variables that were significant independent predictors of increased operative time: GB negativity in DIC‐CT (P = .002, 2 points), GB wall thickness (P = .002, 2 points), body mass index (P = .015, 1 point), preoperative alkaline phosphatase value (P = .018, 1 point), and preoperative C‐reactive protein value (P = .04, 1 point). The LC difficulty score (Grade A, score 0‐2; Grade B, score 3‐5; and Grade C, score 6‐7) was significantly associated with a prolonged operative time.ConclusionDrip infusion cholangiography with computed tomography is useful for predicting the surgical difficulty of LC.
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