Coagulation profile following liver resection: Does liver cirrhosis affect thromboelastography?

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary surgery
• Coagulation medicine
• Transplantation surgery

Background:

• Thromboelastography challenges traditional views of coagulopathy after partial hepatectomy.
• Coagulation profiles in cirrhotic livers post-hepatectomy remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the coagulation profiles of patients undergoing partial hepatectomy in both normal and cirrhotic livers.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of patients undergoing liver resection.
• Preoperative and postoperative measurements of prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, and thromboelastography on days 0, 1, 3, and 5.

Main Results:

• Thromboelastography indicated a hypercoagulable state postoperatively in 64%, 33%, 39%, and 36% of patients on days 0, 1, 3, and 5, respectively.
• No significant differences in coagulation profiles were observed between patients with and without underlying cirrhosis.

Conclusions:

• Patients exhibit similar coagulation profiles after liver resection, irrespective of cirrhosis.
• A significant proportion of patients demonstrate a hypercoagulable profile post-liver resection.