Methods of vascular control technique during liver resection: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Background: Significant hemorrhage together with blood transfusion increases postoperative morbidity and mortality of hepatic resection. Hepatic vascular occlusion is effective in minimizing bleeding during hepatic parenchymal transection. This article aimed to review the current role and status of various techniques of hepatic vascular occlusion during hepatic resection.

Data sources: The relevant manuscripts were identified by searching MEDLINE, and PubMed for articles published between January 1980 and April 2010 using the keywords "vascular control", "vascular clamping", "vascular exclusion" and "hepatectomy". Additional papers were identified by a manual search of the references from the key articles.

Results: One randomized controlled trial (RCT) and 5 RCTs showed intermittent Pringle maneuver and ischemic preconditioning followed by continuous Pringle maneuver were superior to continuous Pringle maneuver alone, respectively. Two RCTs compared the outcomes of hepatectomy with and without intermittent Pringle maneuver. One showed Pringle maneuver to be beneficial, while the other failed to show any benefit. One RCT showed that ischemic preconditioning had significantly less blood loss than using intermittent Pringle maneuver. Four RCTs evaluated the use of hemihepatic vascular occlusion. One RCT showed it had significantly less blood loss than Pringle maneuver, while the other 3 showed no significant difference. Only 1 RCT showed it had significantly less liver ischemic injury. No RCT had been carried out to assess segmental vascular occlusion. Two RCTs compared the outcomes of total hepatic vascular exclusion (THVE) and Pringle maneuver. One RCT showed THVE resulted in similar blood loss, but a higher postoperative complication. The other RCT showed less blood loss using THVE but the postoperative complication rate was similar. Both studies showed similar degree of liver ischemic injury. Only one RCT showed that selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE) had less blood loss and liver ischemic injury than Pringle maneuver.

Conclusion: Due to the great variations in these studies, it is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion on the best technique of hepatic vascular control.