Reconstruction of the Hepatic Vein to the Prosthetic Inferior Vena Cava in Right Extended Hemihepatectomy with Ex Situ Procedure

Background: Ex situ procedure permits complete resection of a tumor involving the confluence of the three main hepatic veins, which is difficult when conventional technique is used.

Methods: We report treatment of a patient with intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma involving this confluence of the three main hepatic veins and the retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) by using right extended hemihepatectomy and resection of the retrohepatic IVC with ex situ procedure. Reconstruction of the left hepatic vein required anastomosis of the left hepatic vein and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) replacement for the IVC. To our knowledge this is the first report of reconstruction of the hepatic vein by use of a PTFE prosthesis.

Results: Anastomosis of the left hepatic vein to the PTFE graft was successfully performed during extracorporeal liver operation. The patient has had no recurrence during 8 months since the operation. Neither torsion nor obstruction of the hepatic vein and the graft has been observed.

Conclusions: Reconstruction of main hepatic veins and the PTFE graft as the replacement of the IVC under extracorporeal liver operation may be useful in improving the cure rate and resection rate for liver cancer that is unresectable by the conventional technique.