Ischemic liver dysfunction after elective repair of infrarenal aortic aneurysm: incidence and outcome

To assess the frequency of early postoperative liver dysfunction in patients undergoing elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair, their hospital course, and outcome.

A retrospective case-control study.

A single tertiary referral center.

A review of medical records of 942 consecutive asymptomatic patients with normal preoperative liver function test results who had elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair with infrarenal aortic cross-clamping. The authors selected all patients who had an acute increase in serum hepatic enzyme levels (minimum fivefold increase in aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and twofold increase in lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] levels) within the first 7 perioperative days (study patients). The control group consisted of 42 patients with normal postoperative liver function test results, matched by age, sex, and year of surgery to study patients.

None.

Aortic cross-clamping times, lowest intraoperative blood pressure, duration of hypotension (systolic blood pressure < or = 95 mmHg), lowest intraoperative base deficit, and estimated blood loss were compared between control and study patients. The study also analyzed perioperative metabolic, hemostatic, hepatic, and renal function variables; the intraoperative course; postoperative complications; and inhospital outcome. Fourteen of 942 patients (1.5%) comprised a study group. In 11 patients (1.2%), AST and LDH levels moderately increased, and three patients (0.3%) developed changes consistent with a diagnosis of acute ischemic hepatitis (AIH). In all patients, the serum liver enzyme levels peaked between 24 and 72 postoperative hours. Three patients with AIH developed concomitant acute renal failure; one had associated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and died. Of 11 patients with moderate increases, one subsequently developed multisystem organ failure and died. The overall in-hospital mortality rate for patients with postoperative liver dysfunction was 14% (2/14) and for the control group it was 2.3% (1/42). The duration of hypotension and metabolic acidosis were more pronounced in patients who postoperatively developed liver dysfunction (both p < 0.001); however, study and control patients did not differ in the duration of aortic cross-clamping, lowest intraoperative blood pressure, or estimated blood loss.

Liver enzyme levels acutely increased in 1.5% of patients after elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair with infrarenal cross-clamping. In patients with moderately elevated serum liver enzyme levels, postoperative recovery was relatively uncomplicated, whereas all three patients with AIH developed acute renal failure and had a more complicated postoperative course. Those with postoperative liver dysfunction had a longer duration of intraoperative hypotension and more pronounced metabolic acidosis.