Communicating Veins Between Adjacent Hepatic Veins: an Intra-operative Ultrasound Study

Completed

• Conditions: Liver Tumors
• Interventions: Procedure: Ultrasound guided liver resection

• Registration Number: NCT00960609
• Lead Sponsor: University of Milan

Brief Summary

The search for communicating veins (CVs) between adjacent hepatic veins (HVs) has drawn its rationale from living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Parenchymal sparing procedures although HVs are resected suggest that probably their presence is underestimated.

Taking profit from new improvements in ultrasound technology the investigators aim to better estimate the rate of CVs in a consecutive series of patients in whom resection of one HV at caval confluence is needed.

Detailed Description

The search for communicating veins (CVs) between adjacent hepatic veins (HVs) has drawn its rationale from the need of reducing the risk of incomplete blood outflow in the medial portion of the hemiliver without the middle hepatic vein (MHV) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). However, only 24% of patients seems having CVs based on the findings of color-Doppler intraoperative ultrasound (CD-IOUS) exploration. On the other hand the safety of parenchymal sparing procedure despite HV resection let suppose that CVs are probably more frequent than expected.

Certainly, better in vivo knowledge of the rate of CVs and their direct detection would consolidate and probably further expand parenchymal sparing techniques. Taking profit from new advancements in ultrasound technology we have carried out the present study with the aim of better estimating the rate of CVs in a consecutive series of patients in whom resection of one HV at caval confluence was needed.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-01
• Status Verified: 2009-08
• Study First Submitted: 2009-08-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-08-17
• Last Update Submitted: 2009-08-17
• Study First Posted: 2009-08-18
• Last Update Posted: 2009-08-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: Not specified

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients suitable for being enrolled in the present study were those carriers of primary or metastatic tumour with direct contact or invasion of one HV at the caval confluence.

Exclusion Criteria

• N/A

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
caval confluence HV involvement	Ultrasound guided liver resection	Patients carriers of primary or metastatic tumour with direct contact or invasion of one HV at the caval confluence.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
First outcome was the rate of CVs detectable with e-flow IOUS along clamping of the HV for which resection could be needed.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Secondary outcome was safety (morbidity, mortality, blood loss, blood transfusions) of the procedure.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Istituto Clinico Humanitas, IRCCS; 🇮🇹 Rozzano, Milano, Italy