The thumb and index finger as principal surgical instruments to secure the inferior vena cava between the liver and the diaphragm in routine operations of the liver

Abstract

Presented herein is a simple and safe technique to secure the IVC in its segments above the liver and below the diaphragm through a simple incision in the abdomen. After complete division of the hepatic ligaments, the index finger is passed through the upper recessus of the lesser sac, behind the vein, and just above the caudate lobe, meeting the right thumb on the right side of the vein. A tissue string is then passed, and the IVC is secured. The experience of the authors with more than 100 consecutive hepatectomies has shown this technique to be a reliable approach to secure the IVC during routine hepatic operations.