2D shear wave elastography is better than transient elastography in predicting post-hepatectomy complication after...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Transient elastography (TE) and 2D shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) are established methods for evaluating liver fibrosis.
• Accurate assessment of liver fibrosis is crucial for predicting post-surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of 2D-SWE in predicting post-hepatectomy complications.
• To compare the predictive capabilities of 2D-SWE with TE for post-hepatectomy complications.

Main Methods:

• 125 patients undergoing liver tumor resection were prospectively enrolled.
• Liver stiffness (LS) was measured using TE and 2D-SWE pre-operatively.
• Post-operative complications were assessed using the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), with CCI ≥ 26.2 defining severe complications.

Main Results:

• 2D-SWE showed significantly higher diagnostic performance than TE in detecting liver fibrosis (≥F3 and F4).
• LS measured by 2D-SWE was a significant predictor of severe post-hepatectomy complications (OR: 1.27 per kPa, p=0.001).
• The area under the curve (AUC) for 2D-SWE in predicting severe complications was 0.854, significantly higher than TE's AUC of 0.692 (p=0.004).

Conclusions:

• 2D-SWE is a valuable tool for predicting severe complications after hepatic resection.
• 2D-SWE offers superior diagnostic performance compared to TE for assessing liver fibrosis and predicting post-hepatectomy complications.