Ischemic Preconditioning Prior to Intermittent Pringles Maneuver in Liver Resections

Background: Continuous inflow vascular occlusion during liver resections causes less severe ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) if it is preceded by ischemic preconditioning (IP) or if intermittent inflow occlusion is used during the resection. No previous clinical trial has studied the effects of adding IP to intermittent inflow occlusion. Methods: Consecutive patients (n=32) with suspicion of malignant liver disease had liver resections (minimum 2 segments) performed with inflow occlusion 15/5. Half of the patients were randomized to receive IP (10/10). The patients were stratified according to volume of resection and none had chronic liver disease. The patients were followed for 5 days with microdialysis (μD). Results: All patients completed the study and there were no deaths. No differences were seen between the groups regarding demographics or perioperative parameters (bleeding, duration of ischemia, resection volume, complications and serum lab tests). There were no differences in ALT, AST, Bilirubin or PT-INR levels, but μD revealed lower levels of lactate, pyruvate and glucose in the IP group having major liver resections (ANOVA). Nitrite and nitrate levels in μD decreased postoperatively but no differences were seen between the groups. In one patient an elevated μDglycerol curve was seen before the diagnosis of a stroke was made. Conclusions: IP before intermittent vascular occlusion does not reduce the serum parameters used to assess IRI. IP seems to improve aerobic glucose metabolism as the levels of glucose, pyruvate and lactate locally in the liver were reduced compared to controls in patients having resected >3 segments. μD may be used to monitor metabolism locally.