[Liver function test to predict hepatic failure after liver resection--expensive and without clinical relevance?]

Hepatic failure after liver resection is a complication that is dreaded by surgeons and has a poor outcome. Inadequate functional reserve of the remaining liver parenchyma leads to the inability to regenerate and finally to the progression of liver failure. In order to predict the functional reserve of the remaining liver parenchyma, many different liver function tests have been established. Basis for most liver function assessments are metabolic liver functions such as cytochrome p450 dependent pathways or the extraction and biliary excretion of dye. Nuclear imaging of the liver parenchyma does not only allow visualisation of the liver but also accumulation of information on hepatocyte volume that might be a better predictor for the hepatic reserve and the regenerative capacity compared to the liver volume alone. However, to date no single method has been proven to be able to predict safe limits of resectability. If an underlying liver disease is excluded the resectability is mostly limited by volumetric analysis and technical feasibility of liver resection. In patients with underlying liver disease cirrhosis should be excluded. In case of liver cirrhosis, only Child-Pugh-Turcott A patients with normal bilirubin levels and without portal hypertension should be considered for liver resection.