Preoperative Von Willebrand Factor to Predict Postoperative Liver Dysfunction and Morbidity After Liver Resection

vWF is stored in weibel-palade-bodies of endothelial cells as well as alpha-granula of platelets and is released upon their activation. Endothelial cell dysfunction as well as platelet activation often occur in liver disease and portal hypertension, which may lead to an increase in circulating vWF levels. Indeed, multiple studies have reported that liver disease is associated with increased circulating vWF- antigen (vWF-Ag). Furthermore, increased circulating vWF -Ag Levels have been shown to be associated with increased mortality rates in patients with chronic liver disease. Within a prospective evaluation cohort, the investigators were able to document that patients with increased vWF-Ag levels prior to liver resection suffered from an increased incidence of postoperative liver dysfunction and morbidity. Within this prospective multicenter validation study, the investigators now aim to prospectively validate that circulating vWF-Ag prior to liver resection is a valuable marker to predict postoperative clinical outcome.