Islet transplantation is being offered increasingly for selected patients with unstable type 1 diabetes. Percutaneous transhepatic portal access avoids a need for surgery, but is associated with potential risk of bleeding. Between 1999 and 2005, we performed 132 percutaneous transhepatic islet transplants in 67 patients. We encountered bleeding in 18/132 cases (13.6%). In univariate analysis, the risk of bleeding in the absence of effective track ablation was associated with an increasing number of procedures (2nd and 3rd procedures with an odds ratio (OR) of 9.5 and 20.9, respectively), platelets count <150 000 (OR 4.4), elevated portal pressure (OR 1.1 per mm Hg rise), heparin dose ≥45 U/kg (OR 9.8) and pre-transplant aspirin (81 mg per day) (OR 2.6, p = 0.05). A multivariate analysis further confirmed the cumulative transplant procedure number (p < 0.001) and heparin dose ≥45 U/kg (p = 0.02) as independent risk factors for bleeding. Effective mechanical sealing of the intrahepatic portal catheter tract with thrombostatic coils and tissue fibrin glue completely prevented bleeding in all subsequent procedures (n = 26, p = 0.02). We conclude that bleeding after percutaneous islet implantation is an avoidable complication provided the intraparenchymal liver tract is sealed effectively.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with a dismal prognosis. When diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, the outcomes of surgical resection are not well understood. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of surgery in patients with advanced ACC. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database, we identified patients diagnosed with Stage III and IVACC between 1988 and 2009. A total of 320 patients with Stage III and IV disease were included in our analysis. In patients treated with surgical resection, the Stage III 1- and 5-year survival rates were 77 and 40 per cent, respectively, whereas the Stage IV 1- and 5-year survival rates were 54 and 27.6 per cent, respectively. Patients treated without surgery had poor survival at 1 year for both Stage III (13%) and Stage IV (16%) ( P < 0.01 compared with the surgical groups). Lymph node dissection was performed in 26 per cent of the patients with advanced ACC and was associated with improved survival in univariate analysis of Stage IV patients. Overall, our results indicate that favorable survival outcomes can be achieved even in patients with Stage III and IV disease and surgery should be considered in patients with advanced ACC.

Background-Elderly patients with reperfused ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction are at increased risk for left ventricular remodeling. Extracellular matrix damage has been implicated in early remodeling. We hypothesized that aging results in enhanced early reperfusion injury and left ventricular remodeling after reperfused ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and that early therapy initiated at the time of reperfusion with an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker such as candesartan attenuates age-related increases in reperfusion injury and remodeling. Methods and Results-We randomized 3 groups of dogs (age, 1 to 2, 2.1 to 5, and 5.1 to 10 years) with reperfused ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (90 minutes of ischemia, 2 hours of reperfusion) to therapy with placebo or candesartan (1 mg/kg CV-11974) over 30 minutes from the onset of reperfusion. Reperfusion in placebo groups was associated with aging-related changes in the ischemic zones in markers of damage (increased ischemic injury, infarct size [as percent risk], cardiomyocyte apoptosis, blood flow impairment, no reflow), structural remodeling (increased left ventricular dilation and dysfunction), extracellular matrix remodeling (increased expression of secretory leucocyte protease inhibitor, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, osteopontin, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-10 and -17, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -2), and inflammation (increased inducible nitric oxide synthase, proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-␣, and transforming growth factor-␤ 1 ; decreased antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-10). Compared with placebo, candesartan attenuated these age-dependent changes. Conclusion-Aging results in age-dependent early increases in markers of damage and adverse structural and matrix remodeling after ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction reperfused after 90 minutes of ischemia, and early therapy initiated at the time of reperfusion with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker candesartan attenuates these changes. This strategy needs clinical confirmation. (Circulation. 2010;122:341-351.)

Short-limb RYHJ is safe and associated with a low incidence of postoperative complications. In addition, biliary intervention, when indicated, can be performed endoscopically with a high degree of success. In the absence of any evidence demonstrating longer limbs to be superior, we recommend using short-limb RY reconstruction for HJ.

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Explant pathology can be used to predict the risk for recurrent HCC after LT, which may allow for improved adjuvant and management strategies.

Pancreatic fistula (PF) continues to be the Achilles’ heel of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with both morbidity and mortality linked to its occurrence. The optimal drain management strategy after PD remains unclear. We evaluated drain amylase (DA) levels on postoperative Day (POD) 0 to 5 in 76 consecutive patients undergoing PD to determine the patterns associated with PF. Of these 76 patients, eight patients (11%) developed Grade A, B, or C PF by International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula criteria. POD 1 DA levels correlated closely with PF rates when high (greater than 5000 U/L, 100% PF rate) and low (less than 100 U/L, 2% PF rate). In patients with intermediate POD 1 DA (100 to 5000 U/L), 42 and 74 per cent had low DA levels on POD 3 and 5, respectively, and the PF rate was four of 31 (13%). Overall, the temporal pattern of decreasing DA levels after PD correlates closely with the risk of PF, and only two patients (5%) developed PF after early DA levels had normalized. Based on these data, we propose an algorithm of monitoring DA daily with drain removal when the level is less than 100 U/L. In our patient group drain removal would have occurred on a mean of 1.8 days and median 1 day after surgery.

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