En bloc caudate lobe and partial vena cava resection using a Gott shunt for retrohepatic caval bypass

A technique of retrohepatic inferior vena cava bypass is described, useful for resection of the hepatic caudate lobe. A 77 year old female developed a solitary metastatic tumor mass in the caudate lobe compressing the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC), with cavography showing the IVC to be compressed, but patent. Without evidence of other metastatic disease radical resection of this tumor was performed. Successful resection was accomplished using a Gott shunt and porta hepatus compression for hepatic vascular isolation. No pump was used to avoid heparinization. Postoperative imaging confirmed IVC patency. The serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level fell to normal and remained so for 18 postoperative months. This introduces a new use of an atriocaval shunt for hepatic isolation during resection.