Open abdomen with VAC is associated with significantly improved survival compared with PAC in abdominal sepsis requiring laparotomy.

The increasing prevalence of advanced cirrhosis among operative candidates poses a major challenge for the acute care surgeon. The severity of hepatic dysfunction, degree of portal hypertension, emergency of surgery, and severity of patients’ comorbidities constitute predictors of postoperative mortality. Comprehensive history taking, physical examination, and thorough review of laboratory and imaging examinations typically elucidate clinical evidence of hepatic dysfunction, portal hypertension, and/or their complications. Utilization of specific scoring systems (Child-Pugh and MELD) adds objectivity to stratifying the severity of hepatic dysfunction. Hypovolemia and coagulopathy often represent major preoperative concerns. Resuscitation mandates judicious use of intravenous fluids and blood products. As a general rule, the most expeditious and least invasive operative procedure should be planned. Laparoscopic approaches, advanced energy devices, mechanical staplers, and topical hemostatics should be considered whenever applicable to improve safety. Precise operative technique must acknowledge common distortions in hepatic anatomy, as well as the risk of massive hemorrhage from porto-systemic collaterals. Preventive measures, as well as both clinical and laboratory vigilance, for postoperative hepatic and renal decompensation are essential.

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Background. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is one of the most common general surgery procedures in Canada with approximately 100 000 cases performed per year. Bile duct injury remains a morbid complication with an incidence rate of 0.3% to 0.5%. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent cholangiography is a noninvasive technology aiding in real-time identification of biliary structures for safe dissection within Calot’s triangle. The objectives were to provide an update to our initial experience with ICG aiding in the identification of biliary structures and ensuring that no adverse patient reactions occurred with ICG administration. Methods. Prospective case series from 2016 to 2018 for elective LC with ICG technology performed at a single academic teaching institution. Patient demographics, indications for operation, biliary structures visualized, amount of ICG used, operative times, and complications were recorded. Results. One hundred eight cases were included for review. The cystic duct, common hepatic duct, and common bile duct were identified with ICG in 90%, 48%, and 84% of cases, respectively. ICG simultaneously visualized at least 2 of 3 biliary structures 83.4% of the time. Only 1 biliary structure was identified in 10% of cases. No biliary structures were identified in 6% of cases. Mean initial ICG dose given was 1.65 mL. No adverse patient reactions to ICG were noted. Conclusions. This updated series illustrates that administration of ICG enhances visualization of the biliary system during outpatient LC. ICG is safe and its application should be further studied in early LC for acute cholecystitis.

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Background: The frequency with which patients with high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores undergo liver transplantation has been increasing. Canadian literature regarding the outcomes of liver transplantation in recipients with high MELD scores is limited. The primary objective of this study was to assess patient and graft survival among recipients with high (> 35) and low (≤ 35) MELD scores. Secondary objectives were to potentially identify independent predictors of graft failure and patient mortality. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing liver transplantation at a single Canadian centre from 2012 to 2017. Results: A total of 332 patients were included in the study: 280 patients had a MELD score of 35 or lower, and 52 had a MELD score above 35. Patients with high MELD scores had higher rates of pretransplant acute kidney injury and dialysis ( p < 0.001), admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) or intubation ( p < 0.001), intraoperative blood product transfusions ( p < 0.001) and post-transplantation acute kidney injury and dialysis ( p < 0.001), as well as longer ICU ( p < 0.001) and hospital stays ( p = 0.002). One- and 3-year patient survival in recipients with MELD scores of 35 or lower was 93.1% and 84.9% versus 85.0% and 80.0% in recipients with MELD scores above 35 ( p = 0.37). One- and 3-year graft survival in recipients with MELD scores of 35 or lower was 91.7% and 90.9% versus 77.2% and 72.8% in recipients with MELD scores above 35 ( p < 0.001). Prior liver transplant was an independent predictor of patient mortality, and no independent predictors of graft failure were identified. When MELD was replaced with D-MELD (donor age × recipient MELD), it predicted graft failure but not patient survival. Conclusion: No difference in patient mortality was found between MELD groups. Graft survival was significantly lower in recipients with MELD scores above 35. D-MELD may potentially be used as an adjunct in determining risk of graft failure in recipients with high MELD scores.

Highlights Traumatic visceral artery pseudoaneurysms and dissections are typically secondary to penetrating trauma involving splenic or hepatic vessels. Solitary left gastric pseudoaneurysm and dissection in blunt trauma are rare, and best recognized using multi-detector multiphase CTA. Pseudoaneurysms measuring less than 2.0 cm without symptoms of persistent abdominal pain or peritoneal signs can be managed conservatively. Conservative management involves close observation, treatment with antithrombotic agents, and optimization of medical comorbidities.

Objective: To report the clinical outcomes of liver transplants from donors after medical assistance in dying (MAiD) versus donors after cardiac death (DCD) and deceased brain death (DBD). Summary Background Data: In North America, the number of patients needing liver transplants exceeds the number of available donors. In 2016, MAiD was legalized in Canada. Methods: All patients undergoing deceased donor liver transplantation at Toronto General Hospital between 2016 and 2021 were included in the study. Recipient perioperative and postoperative variables and donor physiological variables were compared among 3 groups. Results: Eight hundred seven patients underwent deceased donor liver transplantation during the study period, including DBD (n=719; 89%), DCD (n=77; 9.5%), and MAiD (n=11; 1.4%). The overall incidence of biliary complications was 6.9% (n=56), the most common being strictures (n=55;6.8%), highest among the MAiD recipients [5.8% (DBD) vs. 14.2% (DCD) vs. 18.2% (MAiD); P=0.008]. There was no significant difference in 1 year (98.4% vs. 96.4% vs. 100%) and 3-year (89.3% vs. 88.7% vs. 100%) (P=0.56) patient survival among the 3 groups. The 1- and 3- year graft survival rates were comparable (96.2% vs. 95.2% vs. 100% and 92.5% vs. 91% vs. 100%; P=0.37). Conclusion: With expected physiological hemodynamic challenges among MAiD and DCD compared with DBD donors, a higher rate of biliary complications was observed in MAiD donors, with no significant difference noted in short-and long-term graft outcomes among the 3 groups. While ethical challenges persist, good initial results suggest that MAiD donors can be safely used in liver transplantation, with results comparable with other established forms of donation.