Background Steatotic grafts are more susceptible to ischemia-reperfusion injury than are normal grafts. Therefore, using steatotic grafts for liver transplantation (LT) is associated with high primary dysfunction and decreased survival rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of graft steatosis on post LT outcomes. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of 271 LT recipients from 2005 to ... Read more

Platelets play a critical role in liver injury and regeneration. Thrombocytopenia is associated with increases in postoperative complications after partial hepatectomy, but it is unknown whether platelet counts could also predict outcomes after trans- plantation, a procedure that is often performed in thrombocytopenic patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evalu- ate whether platelet counts could be indicators ... Read more

Optimum graft function after liver transplantation is dependent on adequate sinusoidal perfusion. Hepatic microcirculation may be compromised by sev- eral factors such as cold ischemia, quality of the liver graft, handling of the organ during surgery, surgical procedure, and reperfusion injury. This chapter will focus on the pathological consequences of cold preservation and reperfu- sion injury on hepatic microcirculation. Microcirculatory ... Read more

Background & Aims: Chemical composition of hepatic lipids is an evolving player in steatotic liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is a vasoactive pro-inflammatory lipid mediator derived from arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6 fatty acid (X-6 FA). Reduced tolerance of the macrosteatotic liver to I/R may be related to increased TXA2 synthesis due to the pre- dominance of X-6 ... Read more

Steatotic liver grafts represent the most common type of ‘‘extended criteria’’ organs that have been introduced during the last two decades due to the disparity between liver transplant candidates and the number available organs. A precise definition and reliable and reproducible method for steatosis quantification is currently lacking and the potential influence of the chemical composition of hepatic lipids has ... Read more

The implantation of grafts below 30% of the normal liver volume is associated with a high risk of failure known as small-for-size (SFS) syndrome. Strategies to rescue small grafts may have a dramatic impact on organ shortage. Serotonin is a potent growth factor for the liver. The goal of this study was to determine whether enhanced serotonin signaling could prevent ... Read more

Background Chemotherapy may increase postoperative morbidity and mortality after liver surgery. Especially bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), could have a detri- mental effect. To assess the impact of neoadjuvant bev- acizumab on clinical outcome after hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) this case-matched control study was initiated. Methods The multicentric data collection was performed in ... Read more

Major liver resections and partial orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) have become established procedures in liver surgery; for many patients, these techniques offer the only curative option.1 Yet, many patients develop postoperative complications because the remnant livers or grafts are too small or of poor quality to sustain sufficient organ function. This somewhat new and poorly defined phe- nomenon has been ... Read more

Background: The presence of fat in the liver is considered a major risk for postoperative complication after liver surgery and transplantation. The cur- rent standard of quantification of hepatic steatosis is microscopic evaluation by pathologists, although consistency in such assessment remains unclear. Computerized image analysis is an alternative method for objective assess- ment of the degree of hepatic steatosis. Methods: ... Read more

The biological effect of the perfluorocarbon-based artificial oxygen carrier (OxygentÔ) was investigated in tissue- engineered trachea (TET) construction. Media supplemented with and without 10% Oxygent were compared in all assessments. Partial tissue oxygen tension (PtO2) was measured with polarographic microprobes; epithelial me- tabolism was monitored by microdialysis inside the TET epithelium perfused with the medium underneath. Chondrocyte–DegraPolÒ constructs were cultured ... Read more