Interstage Assessment of Remnant Liver Function in ALPPS: Can SPECT Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy Provide Any Additional Value in Predicting Risk of Posthepatectomy Liver Failure?

Post-hepatectomy liver failure is one of the most feared complications by hepatic surgeons. When size of the future liver remnant (FLR) is regarded to be not sufficient to sustain post-hepatectomy liver function, techniques as preoperative portal vein embolization or two-stage hepatectomy/associating liver partition and portal vein ligation (ALPPS) can be performed. ALPPS induces rapid and extensive hypertrophy by portal vein ligation and in situ liver splitting. To date, feasibility of the second stage of ALPPS has been assessed only on the basis of standardized future liver remnant or future liver remnant on body weight. However, decrease of liver function between stages, measured by means of laboratory parameters, has been demonstrated to be associated with higher 90-day mortality, regardless of FLR volume. In other words, this volumetric increase may not reflect the increase of liver function.