Effect of the herbal medicine Inchin-Ko-To for serum bilirubin in hepatectomized patients.
OBJECTIVE
Persistent hyperbilirubinemia is a symptom of postoperative liver failure after hepatectomy. We examined the effectiveness of a herbal medicine, Inchin-Ko-To (ICKT), on postoperative serum bilirubin levels in patients undergoing liver resection.


METHODS
Patients were divided into two groups. ICKT group (n=50), 7.5g of ICKT was administered orally from three days before the operation and it continued after the operation. Control group (n=50), ICKT was not administered perioperatively.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the two groups in postoperative serum total bilirubin levels, but in indirect bilirubin, the ICKT group showed significant decrease compared with the control group. Decreasing effect of postoperative serum bilirubin levels was much more conspicuous when a large amount of liver parenchyma was resected. In that subgroup of patients, serum all bilirubin subdivisions significantly decreased in the ICKT (n=12) group compared with controls (n=11).


CONCLUSIONS
ICKT may be an effective and fresh agent in postoperative management of liver resection by its potent choleretic effect.
Department of Surgery, Kimitsu Chuo Hospital, 1010 Sakurai, Kisarazu City, Chiba, 292-8535 Japan. kaihot@aa.pial.jp
Takashi
T
Kaiho
Shunichi
S
Tsuchiya
Shinji
S
Yanagisawa
Osamu
O
Takeuchi
Akira
A
Togawa
Ryo
R
Okamoto
Naoki
N
Saigusa
Masaru
M
Miyazaki
D000368:Aged; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000188:drug therapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period
D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C078038:inchinko-to; D001663:Bilirubin