Segmental liver resection using ultrasound-guided selective portal venous occlusion

Anatomical segmental resection of small hepatic lesions using operative ultrasonography is improved by selective intrahepatic portal venous occlusion. The technique was successfully performed in 15 of the 18 patients in whom it was attempted. The lesions resected included 7 hepatocellular carcinomas in cirrhotic patients, 5 hepatic metastases, 2 benign tumors and 1 gallbladder carcinoma. The mean duration of local vascular exclusion was 47 minutes (range, 22 to 80 minutes) and mean blood transfusion requirement was 1.3 units (range, 0 to 7 units). Five patients sustained postoperative complications and these included chest infection (2 patients), ascites (2 patients), pleural effusion (1 patient) and hemorrhage (1 patient) from the site of hepatic resection. There were no postoperative deaths. One patient required further resection of a recurrent colonic metastasis and two patients have died of disseminated disease. This technique has allowed limited anatomical resection of lesions that would have otherwise required extensive classical hepatic resections or would have not been amenable to resection.