Hepatic and vena cava resection using cardiopulmonary bypass with hypothermic circulatory arrest

When large hepatic or retroperitoneal tumors encroach upon hepatic veins or vena cava and make conventional resection hazardous, the most commonly used method of hepatic resection or vena cava reconstruction includes hepatic vascular exclusion, at times with venovenous bypass or aortic occlusion. These techniques result in warm liver ischemia, and may be accompanied by significant systemic hypotension, despite aggressive central venous preloading. Hepatic lobe (two patients) and retroperitoneal sarcoma (one patient) resections were done in a cold, bloodless field without significant complications. Standard cardiopulmonary bypass techniques with heparin and cardioplegia were used. Systemic circulatory arrest was done at 15 degrees C with isolated retrograde perfusion of the brain through the jugular veins. Hepatic vein and vena cava reconstructions were performed with arrest times of between 30 and 78 minutes. Blood loss was gradual and easily controlled, occurring during the rewarming phase when clot formation was inhibited by cold and heparin.