Category: HPB & Spleen

Preoperative risk assessment benefits from accounting for liver condition

The study assessed the ACS NSQIP Risk Calculator’s accuracy in predicting postoperative complications based on surgery type and underlying liver disease. In a cohort of 376 patients, the calculator effectively predicted outcomes such as surgical site infections and mortality, but its accuracy diminished for those with cirrhosis, fibrosis, and steatosis, particularly undergoing major liver resections. […]

A new classification improves outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma patients

A novel resectability classification for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) categorizes patients into resectable, borderline resectable, and unresectable groups. Analysis of 409 patients showed that those classified as borderline demonstrated significantly worse progression-free and overall survival compared to resectable patients, with p-values indicating strong significance (p < 0.0001). This classification aids in predicting outcomes and may inform […]

AI model predicts futility of surgery in cholangiocarcinoma patients

An artificial intelligence model effectively predicted “futile” surgeries in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients, utilizing ten preoperative factors. In a study of 827 cases, 378 (45.7%) experienced insufficient surgical outcomes, with notable rates of recurrence (78.6%) and mortality (21.4%) within 12 months. The model achieved high accuracy, with a training area under the curve of 0.830 and […]

EUS-FNA/B shows strong diagnostic performance for PANNETs

A meta-analysis involving 2,978 patients confirms that endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle acquisition (EUS-FNA/B) is an effective method for diagnosing and pre-operatively grading pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PANNETs). The overall concordance rate with surgical grading was 0.77, with a notable increase in the G1 subgroup (0.88). Notably, fine needle biopsy (FNB) outperformed fine needle aspiration (FNA) in […]

Enhanced stability in liver transection during minimally invasive surgery

The introduction of a modified pulley maneuver significantly improves surgical outcomes in minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS). By employing barbed sutures with nonabsorbable polymer and metal clips, this technique allows for three-time reuse of sutures and minimizes iatrogenic damage during liver transection. The approach enables optimal traction and enhances the safety and versatility of liver […]

Minimum Ablative Margin of 5 mm Ensures Optimal Outcomes

A multicentre study on colorectal liver metastases establishes that an intraprocedural minimum ablative margin of at least 5 mm significantly reduces the risk of local disease progression. With data from 400 ablated tumors across various institutions, findings reveal 3-year progression rates drop to below 1% when margins exceed 4.6 mm. The results substantiate the proposed […]

Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy shows superior outcomes over laparoscopic approach

A systematic review of 19 studies with 12,731 patients revealed that robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (rpd) significantly outperformed laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (lpd) in key perioperative metrics. Findings included lower conversion rates (OR=0.58), reduced blood transfusions (OR=0.59), shorter hospital stays (MD=-0.54 days), and fewer postoperative complications such as pneumonia (OR=0.31) and wound disruption (OR=0.26). Furthermore, geographical variations influenced outcomes, […]

EUS-guided biopsy yields valuable mutation data in pancreatic cancer

A study evaluated the feasibility of EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) for next-generation sequencing (NGS) in unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The technical yield of EUS-FNB met criteria in 48% of cases, while the molecular yield was remarkably high at 98%. This means that nearly all qualifying biopsies provided sufficient DNA for mutation detection. Most frequently […]

EUS-BD offers reduced pancreatitis risk compared to ERCP

A systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is a safe alternative to ERCP transpapillary drainage (ERCP-TPD) for primary biliary drainage in patients with distal malignant biliary obstruction (DMBO). Among 815 patients analyzed, clinical and technical success rates were similar for both techniques. However, EUS-BD showed a significant reduction in post-procedure […]

Radiation-emitting stents improve survival in cholangiocarcinoma patients

In a multicenter trial, the use of radiation-emitting metallic stents (REMS) combined with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) significantly enhanced overall survival (10.2 months vs. 6.7 months) and time to symptomatic progression (8.6 months vs. 5.4 months) compared to self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) with HAIC in patients with unresectable Bismuth type III or IV perihilar […]