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Updated: Dec 13, 2025
Rat Model of the Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy ALPPS Procedure
Published on: August 14, 2017
A New Surgical Technique Variant of Partial ALPPS (Tourniquet Partial-ALPPS)
Ricardo Robles-Campos1, Roberto Brusadín1, Víctor López-López1
1Department of Surgery, HBP Unit, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain.
Objective:
We present a new variant of partial-ALPPS (p-ALPPS) "Tourniquet partial-ALPPS (Tp-ALPPS)", with the aim of reducing aggressiveness during stage 1.
Summary Background Data:
Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) results in liver regeneration in only 9 days. Due to its high initial morbidity and mortality, less aggressive variants were designed.
Methods:
A new surgical variant of ALPPS was designed consisting in introducing a Kelly forceps from the base of the liver, crossing the liver parenchyma through an avascular area. A 3-mm Vicryl (V152; Ethicon, Somerville, New Jersey, USA) tape is passed, and the tourniquet is then knotted. Six patients operated on by this new Tp-ALPPS surgical technique were compared to 6 patients operated on by Tourniquet ALPPS (T-ALPPS).
Results:
There were no differences in volume increase at 10 days. During stage 1, blood losses and transfusion rates tended to be lower in the Tp-ALPPS group, without statistical differences. Surgical time was shorter in the Tp-ALPPS group than in T-ALPPS (90 min versus 135 min) (p < 0.023). In stage 2, blood losses and transfusion were similar in both groups, but surgical time tended to be higher in the Tp-ALPPS group, which could be related to the surgical technique performed. There were no differences in morbidity and mortality.
Conclusions:
Tp-ALPPS achieved a similar increase in volume as T-ALPPS but with a shorter stage 1 surgical and similar morbidity and mortality.
