Preoperative ICG Test to Predict Posthepatectomy Liver Failure and Postoperative Outcomes in Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma: The Current Status of Surgical Options including Liver Transplantation

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) poses a substantial threat as it ranks as the second most prevalent primary liver tumor. The documented annual rise in intrahepatic CCA (iCCA) incidence in the United States is concerning, indicating its growing impact. Moreover, the five-year survival rate after tumor resection is only 25%, given that tumor recurrence is the leading cause of death in 53-79% of patients. Pre-operative assessments for iCCA focus on pinpointing tumor location, biliary tract involvement, vascular encasements, and metastasis detection. Numerous studies have revealed that portal vein embolization (PVE) is linked to enhanced survival rates, improved liver synthetic functions, and decreased overall mortality. The challenge in achieving clear resection margins contributes to the notable recurrence rate of iCCA, affecting approximately two-thirds of cases within one year, and results in a median survival of less than 12 months for recurrent cases. Nearly 50% of patients initially considered eligible for surgical resection in iCCA cases are ultimately deemed ineligible during surgical exploration. Therefore, staging laparoscopy has been proposed to reduce unnecessary laparotomy. Eligibility for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) requires certain criteria to be granted. OLT offers survival advantages for early-detected unresectable iCCA; it can be combined with other treatments, such as radiofrequency ablation and transarterial chemoembolization, in specific cases. We aim to comprehensively describe the surgical strategies available for treating CCA, including the preoperative measures and interventions, alongside the current options regarding liver resection and OLT.

Predictive Value of Preoperative ICG-R15 Testing in Post-hepatectomy Liver Failure Following Major Liver Resection: Indian Experience

Surgical resection stands as the preeminent therapeutic approach for both primary hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver malignancies. Its efficacy is contingent upon the attainment of a comprehensive excision while ensuring a sufficient future liver remnant (FLR). However, post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) remains a significant challenge, particularly in patients with preexisting liver disease. The present study aims to investigate the predictive value of the preoperative indocyanine green retention test at 15 min (ICG-R15) in identifying patients at risk of PHLF following major liver resection. This retrospective review focused on patients who underwent the ICG-R15 test before major liver resection between August 2021 and January 2023. All patients underwent standard preoperative evaluation and staging. Patients with primary or metastatic liver cancer planned for major resection and undergoing ICG-R15 were included in the study. Patients with elevated serum bilirubin (> 3 mg/dl) and those not undergoing liver resection or minor liver resection (< 3 segments) were excluded from the study. PHLF was defined by the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS) criteria. Follow-up was performed to identify 90-day morbidity. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, we confirmed independent risk parameters that predicted postoperative major complications and severe PHLF. The study included 72 patients who underwent preoperative ICG-R15 testing prior to major liver resection. PHLF occurred in 28 patients (38.9%), with 24 patients (33.3%) classified as severity score B and 3 patients (4.16%) had severity score C. Univariate analysis revealed future liver remnant (FLR), ICG-R15, and blood transfusion as predictors of PHLF. Multivariate analysis confirmed FLR (p = 0.019) and ICG-R15 (p = 0.032) as significant predictors. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.642 for ICG-R15 in predicting PHLF. An optimal cut-point of 7.5 was determined. Our study highlights the importance of preoperative risk assessment of liver function evaluation using the ICG-R15 test, to predict the risk of PHLF following liver resection. Implementing appropriate interventions, especially in patients with borderline FLR, can improve surgical outcomes and enhance patient safety. Further research and prospective studies are essential to refine risk prediction models and improve rates of PHLF after liver resections.

Indocyanine green dye and its application in gastrointestinal surgery: The future is bright green

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a water-soluble fluorescent dye that is minimally toxic and widely used in gastrointestinal surgery. ICG facilitates anatomical identification of structures (e.g., ureters), assessment of lymph nodes, biliary mapping, organ perfusion and anastomosis assessment, and aids in determining the adequacy of oncological margins. In addition, ICG can be conjugated to artificially created antibodies for tumour markers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen for colorectal, breast, lung, and gastric cancer, prostate-specific antigen for prostate cancer, and cancer antigen 125 for ovarian cancer. Although ICG has shown promising results, the optimization of patient factors, dye factors, equipment, and the method of assessing fluorescence intensity could further enhance its utility. This review summarizes the clinical application of ICG in gastrointestinal surgery and discusses the emergence of novel dyes such as ZW-800 and VM678 that have demonstrated appropriate pharmacokinetic properties and improved target-to-background ratios in animal studies. With the emergence of robotic technology and the increasing reporting of ICG utility, a comprehensive review of clinical application of ICG in gastrointestinal surgery is timely and this review serves that aim.

Identification of predictive factors for post-transarterial chemoembolization liver failure in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Post-transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) liver failure occurs frequently in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The identification of predictors for post-TACE liver failure is of great importance for clinical decision-making in this population.

AIM

To investigate the occurrence rate and predictive factors of post-TACE liver failure in this retrospective study to provide clues for decision-making regarding TACE procedures in HCC patients.

METHODS

The clinical records of HCC patients treated with TACE therapy were reviewed. Baseline clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters of these patients were extracted. Logistic models were used to identify candidates to predict post-TACE liver failure.

RESULTS

A total of 199 HCC patients were enrolled in this study, and 70 patients (35.2%) developed post-TACE liver failure. Univariate and multivariate logistic models indicated that microspheres plus gelatin embolization and main tumor size > 5 cm were risk predictors for post-TACE liver failure [odds ratio (OR): 4.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-16.3, P = 0.027; OR: 2.3, 95%CI: 1.05-5.3, P = 0.039, respectively]. Conversely, HCC patients who underwent tumor resection surgery before the TACE procedure had a lower risk for post-TACE liver failure (OR: 0.4, 95%CI: 0.2-0.95, P = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

Microspheres plus gelatin embolization and main tumor size might be risk factors for post-TACE liver failure in HCC patients, while prior tumor resection could be a favorable factor reducing the risk of post-TACE liver failure.