The Brescia Internationally Validated European Guidelines on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery (EGUMIPS)

OBJECTIVE

To develop and update evidence-based and consensus-based guidelines on laparoscopic and robotic pancreatic surgery.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

Minimally invasive pancreatic surgery (MIPS), including laparoscopic and robotic surgery, is complex and technically demanding. Minimizing the risk for patients requires stringent, evidence-based guidelines. Since the International Miami Guidelines on MIPS in 2019, new developments and key publications have been reported, necessitating an update.

METHODS

Evidence-based guidelines on 22 topics in 8 domains were proposed: terminology, indications, patients, procedures, surgical techniques and instrumentation, assessment tools, implementation and training, and artificial intelligence. The Brescia Internationally Validated European Guidelines on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery (EGUMIPS, September 2022) used the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) methodology to assess the evidence and develop guideline recommendations, the Delphi method to establish consensus on the recommendations among the Expert Committee, and the AGREE II-GRS tool for guideline quality assessment and external validation by a Validation Committee.

RESULTS

Overall, 27 European experts, 6 international experts, 22 international Validation Committee members, 11 Jury Committee members, 18 Research Committee members, and 121 registered attendees of the 2-day meeting were involved in the development and validation of the guidelines. In total, 98 recommendations were developed, including 33 on laparoscopic, 34 on robotic, and 31 on general MIPS, covering 22 topics in 8 domains. Out of 98 recommendations, 97 reached at least 80% consensus among the experts and congress attendees, and all recommendations were externally validated by the Validation Committee.

CONCLUSIONS

The EGUMIPS evidence-based guidelines on laparoscopic and robotic MIPS can be applied in current clinical practice to provide guidance to patients, surgeons, policy-makers, and medical societies.

Novel Benchmark Values for Open Major Anatomic Liver Resection in Non-cirrhotic Patients: A Multicentric Study of 44 International Expert Centers

OBJECTIVE

This study aims at establishing benchmark values for best achievable outcomes following open major anatomic hepatectomy for liver tumors of all dignities.

BACKGROUND

Outcomes after open major hepatectomies vary widely lacking reference values for comparisons among centers, indications, types of resections, and minimally invasive procedures.

METHODS

A standard benchmark methodology was used covering consecutive patients, who underwent open major anatomic hepatectomy from 44 high-volume liver centers from 5 continents over a 5-year period (2016-2020). Benchmark cases were low-risk non-cirrhotic patients without significant comorbidities treated in high-volume centers (≥30 major liver resections/year). Benchmark values were set at the 75th percentile of median values of all centers. Minimum follow-up period was 1 year in each patient.

RESULTS

Of 8044 patients, 2908 (36%) qualified as benchmark (low-risk) cases. Benchmark cutoffs for all indications include R0 resection ≥78%; liver failure (grade B/C) ≤10%; bile leak (grade B/C) ≤18%; complications ≥grade 3 and CCI ® ≤46% and ≤9 at 3 months, respectively. Benchmark values differed significantly between malignant and benign conditions so that reference values must be adjusted accordingly. Extended right hepatectomy (H1, 4-8 or H4-8) disclosed a higher cutoff for liver failure, while extended left (H1-5,8 or H2-5,8) were associated with higher cutoffs for bile leaks, but had superior oncologic outcomes, when compared to formal left hepatectomy (H1-4 or H2-4). The minimal follow-up for a conclusive outcome evaluation following open anatomic major resection must be 3 months.

CONCLUSION

These new benchmark cutoffs for open major hepatectomy provide a powerful tool to convincingly evaluate other approaches including parenchymal-sparing procedures, laparoscopic/robotic approaches, and alternative treatments, such as ablation therapy, irradiation, or novel chemotherapy regimens.

Defatting of Human Livers During Long-Term e x situ Normothermic Perfusion: Novel Strategy to Rescue Discarded Organs for Transplantation

OBJECTIVE

To develop a protocol for the defatting of steatotic liver grafts during long-term ex situ normothermic machine perfusion.

BACKGROUND

Despite the alarming increase in donor organ shortage, the highly prevalent fatty liver grafts are often discarded due to the risk of primary nonfunction. Effective strategies preventing such outcomes are currently lacking. An exciting new avenue is the introduction of ex situ normothermic machine perfusion (NMP), enabling a liver to remain fully functional for up to 2 weeks and providing a unique window of opportunity for defatting before transplantation.

METHODS

Over a 5-year period, 23 discarded liver grafts and 28 partial livers from our resection program were tested during ex situ normothermic machine perfusion. The steatosis degree was determined on serial biopsies by expert pathologists, and triglyceride contents were measured simultaneously.

RESULTS

Of 51 liver grafts, 20 were steatotic, with up to 85% macrovesicular steatosis, and were perfused for up to 12 days. Ten livers displayed marked (5 of which almost complete) loss of fat, while the other 10 did not respond to long-term perfusion. Successful defatting was related to prolonged perfusion, automated glucose control, circadian nutrition, and L-carnitine/fenofibrate supplementation. Pseudopeliotic steatosis and the associated activation of Kupffer/stellate cells were unexpected processes that might contribute to defatting. Synthetic and metabolic functions remained preserved for most grafts until perfusion ended.

CONCLUSION

Ex situ long-term perfusion effectively reduces steatosis while preserving organ viability and may in the future allow transplantation of primarily unusable high-risk grafts, significantly increasing the number of organs available for transplantation.

Perioperative omega-3 fatty acids fail to confer protection in liver surgery: Results of a multicentric, double-blind, randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In a variety of animal models, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω3-FAs) conferred strong protective effects, alleviating hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury and steatosis, as well as enhancing regeneration after major tissue loss. Given these benefits along with its safety profile, we hypothesized that perioperative administration of Ω3-FAs in patients undergoing liver surgery may ameliorate the postoperative course. The aim of this study was to investigate the perioperative use of Ω3-FAs to reduce postoperative complications after liver surgery.

METHODS

Between July 2013 and July 2018, we carried out a multicentric, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to test whether 2 single intravenous infusions of Omegaven® (Ω3-FAs) vs. placebo may decrease morbidity. The primary endpoints were postoperative complications by severity (Clavien-Dindo classification) integrated within the comprehensive complication index (CCI).

RESULTS

A total of 261 patients (132 in the Omegaven and 129 in the placebo groups) from 3 centers were included in the trial. Most cases (87%, n = 227) underwent open liver surgery and 56% (n = 105) were major resections (≥3 segments). In an intention-to-treat analysis including the dropout cases, the mortality rate was 4% and 2% in the Omegaven and placebo groups (odds ratio0.40;95% CI 0.04-2.51; p = 0.447), respectively. Any complications and major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b) occurred in 46% vs. 43% (p = 0.709) and 12% vs. 10% (p = 0.69) in the Omegaven and placebo groups, respectively. The mean CCI was 17 (±23) vs.14 (±20) (p = 0.417). An analysis excluding the dropouts provided similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

The routine perioperative use of 2 single doses of intravenous Ω3-FAs (100 ml Omegaven) cannot be recommended in patients undergoing liver surgery (Grade A recommendation).

LAY SUMMARY

Despite strong evidence of omega-3 fatty acids having liver-directed, anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative action in various rodent models, 2 single omega-3 fatty acid infusions given to patients before and during liver surgery failed to reduce complications. Because single omega-3 fatty acid infusions failed to confer liver protection in this trial, they cannot currently be recommended.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrial.gov: ID: NCT01884948; Institution Ethical Board Approval: KEK-ZH-Nr. 2010-0038; Swissmedic Notification: 2012DR3215.

Hepatic artery occlusion in liver transplantation: What counts more, the type of reconstruction or the severity of the recipient's disease?

Although the type of hepatic artery revascularization technique is known to have an impact on patency rates, independent perioperative risk factors on patient outcomes are poorly defined. All consecutive adult patients undergoing cadaveric liver transplantation (n = 361) from July 2007 to June 2016 in a single institution were analyzed. Primary outcomes were early (<30 days) hepatic artery occlusion and primary hepatic artery patency rate. A multivariate model was used to identify independent risk factors for occlusion and the need of arterial conduit, as well as their impact on graft and patient survival. Arterial revascularization without additional reconstruction (end-to-end arterial anastomosis [AA]) was performed in 77% (n = 279), arterial reconstruction (AR) in 15% (n = 53), and aortohepatic conduit (AHC) in 8% (n = 29) of patients. AHC had the highest mean intraoperative flow (275 mL/minute; P = 0.02) compared with AA (250 mL/minute) and AR (200 mL/minute; P = 0.02). There were 43 recipients (12%) who had an occlusive event with successful revascularization in 20 (47%) recipients. One-year primary patency rates of AA, AR, and AHC were 97%, 88%, and 74%, respectively. Aortic calcification had an impact on early occlusion. AR (odds ratio [OR], 3.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-10.75; P = 0.02) and AHC (OR, 6.21; 95% CI, 2.02-18.87; P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for early occlusion. Dyslipidemia additionally independently contributed to early occlusion (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 0.96-7.87; P = 0.06). The 1- and 5-year graft survival rates were 83% and 70% for AA, 75% and 69% for AR, and 59% and 50% for AHC (P = 0.004), respectively. In conclusion, arterial patency is primarily determined by the type of vascular reconstruction rather than patient or disease characteristics. The preoperative lipid status is an independent risk factor for early occlusion, whereas overall occlusion is only based on the performed vascular reconstruction, which is also associated with reduced graft and patient survival. Liver Transplantation 24 790-802 2018 AASLD.