Abstract

Major liver resections with complex vascular reconstruction require ischemia lasting from 2 h 30 to 5 h thus exceeding hepatic tolerance to warm ischemia. We describe a new technique of "ex situ-in vivo" liver surgery with prolonged ischemia with an intact hepatic pedicle. The surgical procedure encompasses complete mobilization of the liver and inferior vena cava, inferior mesenteric and femoral to axillary vein bypass, complete vascular exclusion of the liver, cold perfusion (U. W. solution), section of the hepatic veins allowing exteriorization of the liver ("ex situ") which remains connected by the hepatic pedicle ("in vivo"). The liver is placed on a heat exchanger at 4 degrees C. This procedure was performed in three patients: one each with hepatocellular carcinoma, huge metastasis of colorectal carcinoma and a "diffuse" hemangioma. Duration of ischemia was 225, 205, and 230 min respectively. The postoperative course was uneventful in all 3 cases and patients are alive at 15, 12, and 6 months. As it improves resecability rate of liver tumors and provides radical margins of resection, this procedure may be a beneficial alternative to liver transplantation for which poor results in cancer therapy with a high rate of recurrence are mainly due to immunosuppression.