Liver hilus dearterialization. A standardized surgical method in dogs

A standardized and angiographically controlled liver hilus dearterialization was performed in 21 harrier dogs with (7) or without (14) cholecystectomy. Six sham-operated dogs were used as controls. All dogs had repeat laporatomies performed on the first and seventh postoperative days. Seven dogs died, only one from the group with added cholecystectomy. If the gall bladder was left in place following dearterialization it was found to be gangrenous in all animals by the next day. On the seventh day gall bladder perforation and bile peritonitis occurred in four of the eight surviving dogs. Cholecystectomy associated with the dearterialization had a striking effect on the incidence of intra-abdominal complications. The basic microscopic structure of the liver was not affected by the operation. Selective hepatic angiograms before the dearterialization proved to be useful in detecting all tributaries from the hepatic artery. Angiograms immediately after the dearterialization effectively located possible unnoted arterial tributaries which could then be ligated. A method of control was thus achieved by angiograms before and after the liver hilus dearterialization.