Successful intermittent application of the Pringle maneuver for 30 minutes during human hepatectomy: a clinical randomized study with use of a protease inhibitor.
OBJECTIVE
There is experimental evidence that the liver can safely tolerate a cycle involving application of the Pringle maneuver for 30 minutes each time.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty patients who underwent elective hepatectomy were randomly assigned to two groups of intermittent occlusion (30-min or 15-min Pringle group, n=60 each). A synthetic protease inhibitor (gabexate mesilate, GM, 2 mg/kg/h) was administered to pharmacologically alleviate visceral congestion, accompanied by hepatic pedicle clamping. Intraoperative data, liver function parameters and portal plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-6 (a marker reflecting the status of visceral congestion), were examined as well as the postoperative course. Additionally, ten more patients randomly underwent right hepatectomy without GM, in order to clarify the influence of this agent on the present outcomes.


RESULTS
The two groups of patients were comparable in terms of preoperative assessments, hepatic inflow occlusion time, extent of resection and background liver conditions. The 30-min Pringle group showed less blood loss during surgery (p=0.02) with a tendency for better postoperative mortality and morbidity. The postoperative liver functions were similar between the two groups. The portal plasma levels of IL-6 during pedicle clamping did not differ significantly between the two groups. When GM was not used, the 30-min intermittent Pringle maneuver induced a two-fold rise in serum transaminase levels on day 1 compared with the 15-min group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study indicates that intermittent application of the Pringle maneuver for 30 minutes each time can be accomplished effectively and safely for human hepatectomy, when combined with use of a protease inhibitor.
Kim
Yang-Il
YI
Department of Surgery, Biomolecular Engineering Center, Kyungpook National University, School of Medicine, Chung-Ku, Taegu 700-421, Korea. yikimjp@yahoo.co.jp
Fujita
Shogo
S
Hwang
Yoon-Jin
YJ
Chun
Jae-Min
JM
Song
Kyung-Eun
KE
Chun
Byung-Yeol
BY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control; D003250:Constriction; D005260:Female; D016670:Gabexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D016670:Gabexate