PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R W Busuttil

Publications and source records attributed to R W Busuttil.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Celiac compression syndrome and liver transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the prevalence and clinical significance of the celiac compression syndrome in liver transplantation patients. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Compression of the celiac axis by the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm, causes a decrease in celiac artery blood flow which may lead to hepatic artery thrombosis in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. METHODS: From July 1991 to July 1992, 17 (10%) cases of celiac compression syndrome were identified among 164 consecutive adult patients who underwent liver transplantation. The diagnosis was confirmed by blood flow recording demonstrating a typical pattern of accentuated decrease in celiac blood flow during expiration. RESULTS: Surgical transection of the median arcuate ligament resulted in normalization of the hepatic artery blood flow. In two cases (11.7%), an interposition iliac graft from the recipient supra-celiac aorta was used for the arterial reconstruction. During the follow-up period of up to 15 months, there was no incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical significance of the celiac compression syndrome is evident in liver transplantation in which the collateral circulation to the liver is compromised and the celiac artery remains the only source of arterial blood. It is imperative to identify and remove the obstruction of the celiac axis to prevent severe complications and potential graft loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Endoscopic management of biliary fistulas complicating liver transplantation and other hepatobiliary operations.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic management of biliary fistulas complicating liver transplantation and other hepatobiliary operations. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Surgical therapy has been the traditional approach to large or unresolving biliary fistulas complicating liver transplantation. Although endoscopic management is rapidly becoming an acceptable alternative to surgery for the treatment of biliary fistulas complicating non-liver transplant hepatobiliary operations, it has received limited attention in the liver transplant setting. METHODS: During a 15-month period, 146 adults underwent liver transplantation with biliary reconstruction by end-to-end choledochocholedochostomy over a T-tube. Inadvertent T-tube migration or intentional T-tube removal resulted in bile peritonitis in 18 patients. The patients were treated with a nasobiliary tube (n = 13), internal stent plus endoscopic sphincterotomy (n = 3), or internal stent alone (n = 2). Thirteen patients had a biliary fistula after other hepatobiliary operations and underwent endoscopic therapy during a similar period. All 13 had an endoscopic sphincterotomy with removal of obstructing stones when present (n = 6). Twelve patients also had stents placed. All patients were prospectively followed after hospital discharge and assessed for recurrent symptoms suggestive of biliary tract disease and procedure-related complications. RESULTS: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) identified a biliary fistula at the T-tube insertion site into the bile duct in all 18 liver transplant patients. Seventeen patients had resolution of their symptoms within 12 hours of therapy. The fistula sealed in 94.4%. In the other hepatobiliary operation group, ERCP demonstrated contrast extravasation from the biliary tree in 12 of 13. The biliary fistula closure rate was 92.3%. The endoscopic complication rate for the two groups was 3.2%. During a mean follow-up of 9 months, recurrent biliary tract complications occurred in 11.1% of the liver transplant group and 0% in the other hepatobiliary operation group (p > 0.05). The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the application of endoscopic management of biliary fistulas complicating orthotopic liver transplantation and other hepatobiliary operations. This approach was relatively safe and obviated the need for surgical intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Differences in oral FK506 dose requirements between adult and pediatric liver transplant patients.

The oral dose recommendation for FK506 (Fujisawa Pharmaceutical, Deerfield, IL) after liver transplantation has, to date, made no distinction between adult and pediatric patients. Sixteen pediatric and 33 adult liver transplant patients treated long term with oral FK506 were studied. Initial FK506 doses were 0.3 mg/kg/day p.o. or 0.15 mg/kg/day i.v. Thereafter, doses were adjusted to achieve therapeutic FK506 serum levels (0.5-3.0 ng/ml, ELISA liquid/liquid separation) and to maintain an acceptable serum creatinine. FK506 (in mg/kg/day), FK506 levels, and liver function were assessed at monthly intervals on outpatient visits. The mean age of 16 pediatric patients was 5.3 +/- 3.5 years and of 33 adult patients was 49 +/- 12 years. Mean days of FK506 therapy were 284 +/- 136 for pediatric patients and 239 +/- 112 for adult patients. For each time period, pediatric patients required a significantly higher dose of FK506 compared to adult patients (P < 0.001). The overall mean pediatric dose for the first year was 0.46 +/- 0.4 mg/kg/day compared to the mean adult dose of 0.13 +/- 0.01 mg/kg/day. The ratio of pediatric to adult oral FK506 dose requirements ranged from 2.7 to 4.4 over the 1 year of followup. FK506 levels monitored at the same time points showed no significant differences at any month between pediatric and adult patients. We conclude that the oral dose per kilogram per day of FK506 required to maintain similar FK506 levels is significantly greater in pediatric patients compared to adult recipients during the first year of follow-up. Pediatric recipients require substantially more, and adult recipients substantially less, than the recommended oral FK506 dose to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

A comparison of renal function in cyclosporine- and FK-506-treated patients after primary orthotopic liver transplantation.

In this randomized controlled trial comparing FK-506 to CsA, we report parameters of nephrotoxicity in adult patients surviving > 90 days after orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). Patients randomized to FK-506 first received 0.15 mg/kg IV/day followed by 0.3 mg/kg PO/day. Doses were modified to avoid toxicity and to achieve FK-506 levels of 0.5 to 1.5 ng/ml. CsA was administered in the usual manner with dose adjustments to whole blood HPLC levels. A pre-OLT glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of > or = 30 ml/min/1.73/m2 and/or serum creatinine < or = 2.0 mg/dl were required for inclusion in the study. GFRs were obtained at post OLT days 28, 180, and 360. Other parameters of renal function evaluated were creatinine, magnesium, serum electrolytes, blood pressure, use of antihypertensives, and magnesium supplements. There were 38 patients in the FK-506 group and 34 in the CsA group. The mean days of follow up for each group was similar: 456 +/- 135 days for the FK-506 group and 451 +/- 112 days for the CsA group. The mean oral dose for the FK-506 group ranged from 0.13-0.16 mg/kg/day with mean FK-506 levels of 0.6-0.8 ng/ml. In the FK-506 group, there was a significant fall in the pre-transplant GFR from 89 +/- 31 ml/min/173 m2 to 43 +/- 15 ml/min/173 m2 at day 360. Similarly, for the CsA group, the pre-transplant GFR of 75 +/- 31 ml/min/1.73 m2 fell to 49 +/- 17 ml/min/1.73 m2 at day 360. At each time point studied, there was no significant difference in mean GFR between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the monthly mean values for creatinine, electrolytes, magnesium, or blood pressure between the two groups. Magnesium levels were in the low normal range (1.4-1.6 mEq/L), and the mean potassium levels in the high normal range (4.4-4.7 mEq/L). In both groups, a similar number of patients required magnesium supplementation or hypertensive medications. The nephrotoxicity of FK-506 given at low oral doses and with concomitant low levels was comparable to that of CsA. The two drugs were remarkably similar in their spectrum of electrolyte disturbances and incidence of hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Imaging in pediatric liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation is an accepted and successful mode of treatment for pediatric end-stage liver disease. On the basis of a review of 229 liver transplantations in 185 children, the authors describe the imaging findings of the preoperative evaluation, the uncomplicated transplantation, various postoperative complications, and the suggested percutaneous treatment of some of these complications. The most frequent indications for liver transplantation encountered in this review were biliary atresia (52%), acute fulminant hepatic failure (11%), alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (9%), cryptogenic cirrhosis (6%), and chronic active hepatitis (4%). (The remaining 18% were various rare indications, representing < 4% each.) Routine Doppler ultrasound is the modality of choice for the screening of postoperative complications, supplemented with computed tomography, hepatobiliary scintigraphy, and cholangiography or angiography as needed. Familiarity with the normal graft appearance, as influenced by various surgical and technical factors, and knowledge of the underlying condition of the patient and the clinical course of postoperative complications are crucial for a correct interpretation of the findings from imaging studies.

Biliary Atresia↗
PubMed1993

Radical resection combined with liver transplantation for foregut tumors.

Between February 1984 and July 1992, six adults with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 1), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (n = 2), and cholangiocarcinoma (n = 3) underwent radical foregut resections (n = 3) or radical pancreaticoduodenectomy (n = 3) combined with liver transplantation. The major postoperative complications included diarrhea (n = 4), pancreaticojejunostomy leak (n = 3), infection (n = 7), malnutrition (n = 3), refractory ascites (n = 2), and late hepatic artery thrombosis (n = 1). Tumor recurrence occurred in one patient. The actuarial survival for the group is 82 per cent at 1 year and 55 per cent at 2 years. The results demonstrate that radical pancreaticoduodenectomy/foregut resections combined with liver transplantation offer potential surgical cure of malignancies involving these organs. However, the procedure is formidable, with frequent complications.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

The role of combined liver/kidney transplantation in end-stage hepato-renal disease.

The study describes the indications and results of combined liver/kidney transplantation in eight patients suffering from end-stage hepato-renal diseases. The causes of primary renal failure were hyperoxaluria type I (2/8), diabetic nephropathy (2/8), glomerulonephritis (2/8), congenital pyelonephritis (1/8), and polycystic kidneys (1/8). Only five of these patients were on chronic dialysis prior to transplantation. The indication for kidney transplantation in the other three patients was low GFR (< 20 mL/min) and the anticipation of further deterioration of the renal function after liver transplantation as a result of cyclosporine toxicity. The end-stage liver diseases were chronic active hepatitis (4/8) and alcoholic cirrhosis (2/8). There was no evidence for liver failure in two patients undergoing combined transplants for primary hyperoxaluria. The 1-year patient survival rate is 75 per cent, and at that time, kidney and liver function were found to be within normal range. In conclusion, excellent long-term patient survival, as well as kidney and liver graft function, can be achieved in patients suffering from complex end-stage disease of both organs who undergo combined liver and kidney transplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Resection of the caudate lobe through "bloody gultch".

Isolated resection of the caudate lobe for primary or metastatic neoplasms is an uncommon operation. Our experience with mobilization of the liver in more than 700 hepatic transplants has led us to a simplified technique for caudate lobe resection. Herein we describe our technique and report our experience with three patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Biliary complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has rapidly become the preferred treatment for symptomatic gallstones. Although this procedure has certain advantages over open cholecystectomy, concern has been expressed regarding the potential for bile duct injuries. In an effort to understand the scope of this problem, a retrospective review was performed of all patients referred to UCLA after having sustained biliary injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Over a 14-month period, 10 patients were referred to UCLA with 12 major bile duct injuries. One patient had a false positive cholangiogram leading to an unnecessary biliary-enteric bypass and subsequent dehiscence, resulting in a biliary fistula. Six patients were referred on an acute basis, whereas four patients underwent attempted biliary reconstruction at outside facilities and were ultimately referred with either a biliary stricture or a fistula. Review of cholangiograms suggested that bile duct anomalies were present in five patients. There did not appear to be a relationship between the use of either electrocautery or laser and bile duct injuries. To date eight patients have been successfully managed via Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomies, with a mortality rate of 0%. Although the exact frequency cannot be ascertained from the current study, our data demonstrate that major biliary complications do occur during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Most of these injuries, however, can be safely and successfully treated with surgical biliary reconstruction. Early diagnosis and treatment with liberal use of intraoperative cholangiography and a low threshold for conversion to open laparotomy appears to be associated with a more favorable outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Correlation of hepatic injury, synthetic function, and mitochondria energy level in orthotopic liver transplantation.

UNLABELLED: The arterial ketone blood ratio (AKBR) of acetoacetate to b-hydroxybutyrate was previously shown to reflect hepatic mitochondria oxidation/reduction (redox) state and energy level. In this study we correlated AKBR to the degree of liver injury immediately following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Serial measurements of AKBR in 209 patients undergoing OLT, during the anhepatic phase, and up to 60 hr following reperfusion demonstrated direct correlation between mitochondria Redox state (AKBR), hepatocyte injury (SGOT), and hepatic synthetic function (prothrombin time). AKBR levels less than 0.7 were seen in primary nonfunction grafts and were associated with raising SGOT (greater than 1000) and prolonged PT (greater than 18). Acute occlusion of arterial blood supply to the graft was seen in conjunction with low AKBR (less than 0.7). However, hepatic synthetic function and serum enzyme were stabilized or returned to normal within 24-48 hr postreperfusion. IN CONCLUSION: (1) AKBR measurements are useful in predicting graft survival, (2) reduction in liver mitochondria Redox state is seen in primary hepatocyte dysfunction and correlates well to synthetic function, and (3) acute occlusion of the arterial supply to the liver graft is associated with decreased redox state. However, with intact portal blood flow, it is still possible to preserve adequate hepatic synthetic function.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The interrelation between sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis in patients undergoing liver transplantation.

Thirty-six patients underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for primary sclerosing cholangitis under cyclosporine, azathioprine, and steroid immunosuppression. Of these patients, 29 suffered from chronic ulcerative colitis. The purpose of this study is to determine (1) whether replacement of the diseased liver and the altered immunocompetence suppresses the manifestation of chronic ulcerative colitis, and (2) if active colonic disease alters allograft function. Thirty of 36 patients survived OLT. After OLT, seven of 14 patients with symptomatic colon disease at the time of transplantation continue to suffer from active chronic ulcerative colitis, and three of 13 who were asymptomatic developed clinically active disease. Intractable colonic disease was the indication for post-OLT proctocolectomy in three patients, and one refused an indicated colectomy. Despite the long duration of the disease, none developed colonic malignancy. Long-term graft assessment showed good hepatocyte synthetic function in patients suffering from either active or inactive disease. Liver alkaline phosphatase, however, was significantly higher in patients suffering from active colonic disease. Furthermore, the alkaline phosphatase in symptomatic patients was higher than that seen in a matched cohort undergoing OLT for chronic active hepatitis or primary biliary cirrhosis. These results suggest that (1) liver replacement and immunosuppression in patients suffering from sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis do not alter the course of the colon disease, and (2) active chronic ulcerative colitis does not adversely affect allograft function, although elevation of alkaline phosphatase may be the harbinger of recurrence over the long term.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Biliary strictures complicating liver transplantation. Incidence, pathogenesis, management, and outcome.

Six hundred sixty-six patients received 792 liver transplants between February 1, 1984 and September 30, 1991. Biliary reconstruction was by choledochocholedochostomy (CDCD) with T-tube (n = 509) or Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy (CDJ) (n = 283). Twenty-five patients (4%) developed biliary strictures. Anastomotic strictures were more common after CDJ (n = 10, 3.5%) than for CDCD (n = 3, 0.6%). Intrahepatic strictures developed in 12 patients. Six patients had occult hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT). The other six patients received grafts in which cold ischemia time exceeded 12 hours. Anastomotic strictures were successfully managed by percutaneous dilation (PD) in five patients (n = 10), operation in three (n = 6), with retransplantation required in two patients. Intrahepatic strictures were managed by PD in seven, retransplantation in one, and expectantly in four patients. Of 25 patients, 19 (76%) are alive with good graft function. In three of six deaths, the biliary stricture was a significant factor to the development of sepsis and allograft failure. The authors conclude that (1) anastomotic strictures are rare after LT; (2) the development of biliary strictures may signify occult HAT; (3) PD is effective for most strictures; and (4) extended cold graft ischemia (less than 12 hours) may be injurious to the biliary epithelium, resulting in intrahepatic stricture formation.

Adult↗