Oral glucose tolerance test for preoperative assessment of liver function in liver resection

We intended to determine the role of the Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), in addition to volumetry, in preoperative assessment of patients undergoing liver resection.

This was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital, between February 2009 and February 2011. OGTT curve (parabolic/linear), linearity index (LI) and Parenchymal Hepatic Resection Rate (PHRR) were correlated with postoperative outcomes in terms of postoperative liver failure (PLF), by 50-50 criteria, morbidity, mortality and hospital stay.

Of the 33 patients included in the study, 23 (69.7%) patients underwent major liver resections. Hepatocellular carcinoma (30.3%) was the leading indication. The overall postoperative morbidity rate was 72.7%, but major complications occurred in 3 (9.1%) patients only. There was no 90-day mortality. The 50-50 criteria were met by 3 patients undergoing major resection. Significant correlation was noted between the linear OGTT curve and the overall hospital stay (12.1 days vs. 9.6 days in parabolic; p=0.04). Patients with linear OGTT met the 50-50 criteria more often (18%) than those having a parabolic curve (4.5%; p=0.25). Although the OGTT was more often linear with occurrence of morbidity (41.7% vs 11.1%), major morbidity (66.7% vs 30%) and PLF by 50-50 criteria (66.7% vs 30%), it was not statistically significant. The linearity index was marginally lower (0.9 vs 1.2) in the presence of major morbidity and PLF by 50-50 criteria.

Linear OGTT affects the PLF and major morbidity, therein impacting the hospital stay. OGTT LI and PHRR can help predict postoperative outcome for a given extent of liver resection.