A facilitated technique for hepatectomy of porcine liver

The swine liver has been used for experimental transplantation and as an ex vivo support system for patients with fulminant hepatic failure. Preservation of liver function after the cold storage period can be accomplished by complying with several key steps during the procurement: Keep the procedure short, provide extensive exposure, allow only minimal dissection, irrigate the portal system through the splenic vein and thereby obtain regular blood flow through the organ up to the clamping point, and ice the liver abruptly in situ. This retrieval technique was used and evaluated in 10 pigs. The method allowed a short and successful organ procurement while preserving normal function of the liver ex vivo.