title: Water jet scalpel for liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma with or without cirrhosis.
abstract: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to hepatic resection by using a water jet scalpel which is a device developed recently. Seventy-two patients who underwent hepatic resection were divided into two groups: group A included patients with HCC associated with liver cirrhosis and group B included patients without cirrhosis. Patient characteristics and liver function tests did not differ significantly between the groups. Resected a specimens weighed lighter in group A than in group B. No significant difference in total blood loss, time of operation and postoperative complications were noted. Physiologic saline employed in the machine to create a fine jet stream was projected through the nozzle on the liver at a pressure of 15-20 kg/cm2. The parenchyma of the cirrhotic liver was divided but the intrahepatic vessels were spared. It was therefore concluded that hepatic resection by water jet is safe and useful in case of HCC associated with cirrhosis of the liver.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Une
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamiyama
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saiki
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013997:Time Factors