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Purpose: Thyroid nodules in the pediatric population are more frequently associated with malignant thyroid disease than in adult cohorts. Yet, there is a potential risk of surgical overtreatment. With this single center study, an analysis of potential overtreatment for suspected malignant thyroid disease in children and young adults was aimed for. Methods: In a period from 2005 to 2018, 155 thyroid operations in children and young adults performed at the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany, were analyzed (patient age 3–20 years, 117 female). Cases were categorized for preoperative diagnosis: non-malignant (group I, n = 45) and malignant thyroid disease (group II, n = 110). Postoperative parameters (histology, complication rates) were assessed and compared between groups. Results: 91.1% of group I were histologically benign. 44.5% of group II harbored malignancy. Permanent hypoparathyroidism was documented in group I (2.7%) and in group II (1.4%, p = 1.000). Wound infections were absent in group I but observed in group II (0.9%, p = 1.000). Transient vocal cord palsy was recorded only in group I (2.3%, 2/85 vs. 0/177 nerves at risk, p = 0.104). Permanent vocal cord palsies were absent. Conclusion: Preoperative diagnoses were correct in over 90% of group I and in nearly 45% of group II. The high proportion of carcinomas in group II ruled out the issue of potential overtreatment. The risk of severe postoperative complications was equally low in both patient groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary liver cancer constitutes an increasingly malignancy in the Western world and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare long-term outcomes after R0 resections in noncirrhotic livers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).Methods: Between April 1998 and May 2006 a total of 102 patients with either ICC (n = 41, group 1) or HCC (n = 61, group 2) in the absence of cirrhosis underwent curative liver resection in our department. Demographic characteristics, operative details, perioperative complications, pathologic findings, tumor recurrence and survival were analyzed.Results: Gender (P = 0.007), extent of liver resection (P = 0.036), additional surgical procedures (P < 0.001) and operative morbidity (P = 0.018) differed among the two groups. Following resection, after a median follow-up of 28 months, the calculated 5-year survival was 44% and 40% for ICC and HCC, respectively (P = 0.38). The corresponding recurrence-free survival was 25% for both ICC and HCC (P = 0.66). UICC stage was found to predict overall and recurrence-free survival in both types of tumors. Multifocality in the case of ICC, and tumor differentiation and vascular invasion in the case of HCC, were predictive factors for overall and recurrence-free survival, respectively. In multivariable analyses, vascular invasion for HCC was predictive for overall and recurrence-free survival, whereas in the case of ICC significant differences were detected in the recurrence analysis for multifocality and UICC stage.Conclusions: R0 resections for both ICC and HCC result to similar long-term outcomes, which are characterized by good overall and acceptable recurrence-free survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that do not fulfil accepted tumor criteria continues to be a matter of controversy. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival and prognostic factors associated with a liberal exclusionary policy.Material and Methods: This is an analysis of data collected prospectively on 57 HCC patients who underwent LDLT at our institution between April 1998 and January 2007.Results: Overall 3-year survival was 62%; this increased to 71% when 45-day mortality was excluded from the analysis. Age proved to be a predictor of survival irrespective of the 45-day mortality. In contrast, the Model for End stage Liver Disease (MELD) score predicted survival only when 45-day mortality was included in the analysis, while alpha fetoprotein (AFP) level predicted survival only when it was excluded. Significant cut-off values were patient age of over 60 years, MELD score above 22, and AFP level greater than 400 ng/ml. A scoring system was developed. Survival rate at 3 years--including 45-day mortality--was 72% for score =2 and 41% for score >2 (P = 0.0146). When 45-day mortality was excluded, the survival rate at 3 years was 90% for score =2 and 32% for score >2 (P = 0.00002).Conclusions: Our results could further enhance current guidelines on age, MELD score, and AFP level for patients with HCC being evaluated to undergo LDLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to compare outcomes in patients with synchronous and metachronous colorectal liver metastases, with special emphasis on prognostic determinants.Study Design: We analyzed prospectively collected data on 101 patients with synchronous metastases (group A) who were treated surgically during the time period from April 1998 to December 2006 in regard to overall and disease-free survival, impact of chemotherapy, as well as several serum parameters. A group of patients with metachronous colorectal liver metastases (group B) was considered for baseline comparison.Results: Twenty-three patients in group A received only an explorative laparotomy. Surgical treatment included right hepatectomy (n = 7), left hepatectomy (n = 5), right trisectionectomy (n = 10), left trisectionectomy (n = 1), left lateral resection (n = 11), and sectionectomy (n = 44). Thirty-day mortality was 3%. Morbidity was observed in 10% of the patients. One-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates for synchronous metastases were 86%, 68%, and 47%, respectively. The corresponding rates for metachronous metastases were 94%, 68%, and 39% (p > 0.05). Disease free survival was 74%, 42%, and 33% in group A versus 84%, 62%, and 13% in group B (p = 0.28). There was no difference in survival between patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and no chemotherapy (p > 0.05). Out of all serum parameters, carcinoembryonic antigen levels were a negative predictor for overall and disease-free survival only.Conclusions: Patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases had a similar 5-year overall and disease-free survival, which corresponds to patients with metachronous metastases. The impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with synchronous metastases needs to be further clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Electronic stimulation oft the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a new promising anti-reflux procedure that is established in Germany since 2014. Basically two leads are inserted laparoscopicaly into the LES and connected to an implantable pulse generator (IPG) which is placed in a subcutaneous pocket. This stimulation is supposed to build up the muscular anti-reflux barrier. It is limited to patients with a small hiatal hernia < 3 cm and reflux esophagitis LA Classification Type A-C. Although long-term results up to 4 years with a good postoperative reflux control and an increased quality of life have been published, no data about Endostim™ non-responders, difficult postoperative situations and procedure failure has been reported yet. Methods Between 12/2015 and 11/2017 12 patients underwent laparoscopy for an Endostim™ implantation. All patients had an upper endoscopy, a barium swallow, high-resolution esophageal impedance manomentry (HRIM), 24-hour multi-channel impedance and pH monitoring (MII-pH) prior to the procedure and after 6 months. The quality of life was assessed with the GERD health related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) questionnaire preoperatively and during further follow-up. Results 6 of 12 patients (50%), 2 female 4 male, reported new GERD symptoms after an initial postoperative symptom relief. 1 patient had a prolonged period (15 months) of reprogramming until complete symptom control was achieved. 1 patient had a recurrent 3 cm hiatal hernia after 3 months, so that only a partial responds was reported. In 2 patients reprogramming could not reach a proper responds. Two patients showed a complete technical failure due to a broken lead close to the IPG. Conclusion Reasons for Endostim™ failure can be heterogeneous. Because it is a young and new procedure non-responders should be investigated closely so that there can be a critical discussion about indications, contraindications and negative predictive factors. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Emergency care of critically ill patients in the trauma room is an integral part of interdisciplinary work in hospitals. Live threatening injuries require swift diagnosis, prioritization, and treatment; thus, different medical specialties need to work together closely for optimal patient care. Training is essential to facilitate smooth performance. This study presents a training tool for familiarization with trauma room algorithms in immersive virtual reality (VR), and a first qualitative assessment., Materials and Methods: An interdisciplinary team conceptualized two scenarios and filmed these in the trauma room of the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany in 3D-360°. This video content was used to create an immersive VR experience. Participants of the Department of Anesthesiology were included in the study, questionnaires were obtained and eye movement was recorded., Results: 31 volunteers participated in the study, of which 10 (32,2%) had completed specialist training in anesthesiology. Participants reported a high rate of immersion (immersion(mean) = 6 out of 7) and low Visually Induced Motion Sickness (VIMS(mean) = 1,74 out of 20). Participants agreed that VR is a useful tool for medical education (mean = 1,26; 1 very useful, 7 not useful at all). Residents felt significantly more secure in the matter after training (p < 0,05), specialist showed no significant difference., Discussion: This study presents a novel tool for familiarization with trauma room procedures, which is especially helpful for less experienced residents. Training in VR was well accepted and may be a solution to enhance training in times of low resources for in person training., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a fatal cancer of the bile duct with a poor prognosis owing to limited therapeutic options. The incidence of intrahepatic CCA (iCCA) is increasing worldwide, and its molecular basis is emerging. Environmental factors may contribute to regional differences in the mutation spectrum of European patients with iCCA, which are underrepresented in systematic genomic and transcriptomic studies of the disease., Methods: We describe an integrated whole-exome sequencing and transcriptomic study of 37 iCCAs patients in Germany., Results: We observed as most frequently mutated genes ARID1A (14%), IDH1, BAP1, TP53, KRAS, and ATM in 8% of patients. We identified FGFR2::BICC1 fusions in two tumours, and FGFR2::KCTD1 and TMEM106B::ROS1 as novel fusions with potential therapeutic implications in iCCA and confirmed oncogenic properties of TMEM106B::ROS1 in vitro. Using a data integration framework, we identified PBX1 as a novel central regulatory gene in iCCA. We performed extended screening by targeted sequencing of an additional 40 CCAs. In the joint analysis, IDH1 (13%), BAP1 (10%), TP53 (9%), KRAS (7%), ARID1A (7%), NF1 (5%), and ATM (5%) were the most frequently mutated genes, and we found PBX1 to show copy gain in 20% of the tumours. According to other studies, amplifications of PBX1 tend to occur in European iCCAs in contrast to liver fluke-associated Asian iCCAs., Conclusions: By analyzing an additional European cohort of iCCA patients, we found that PBX1 protein expression was a marker of poor prognosis. Overall, our findings provide insight into key molecular alterations in iCCA, reveal new targetable fusion genes, and suggest that PBX1 is a novel modulator of this disease., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.)

Background: Hepatic echinococcosis is rare in Germany. Liver resection is a potentially curative treatment, if a complete resection according to oncological standards can be achieved. Due to the infiltrating growth of E. multilocularis, liver resections can be challenging., Case: We present a case of hepatic echinococcosis with complete infiltration of left and middle hepatic vein and a partial infiltration of the right hepatic vein (RHV) and the vena cava (VCI). To better evaluate resectability, we performed a three-dimensional reconstruction based on the preoperative CT scan. Complete resection was achieved with an extended left hemihepatectomy (removal of segment 1-5 and partially segment 8) and tangential resection of the VCI and partial resection of the RHV. VCI was reconstructed with a bovine pericardial patch and the RHV was reconstructed end-to-end., Conclusion: Liver resection may require complex vascular resections and reconstructions to achieve an R0 situation in the therapy of E. multilocularis. Three dimensional planning of the resection facilitated curative resection in the current case., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The scientifically founded surgical specialist discussion regarding the legal requirements for minimum volume numbers for diverse organ systems and selected surgical procedures as the basis of quality assurance and optimization of treatment is not new. Comprehensive and also reliable data from national and international studies are available for colorectal surgery, pancreatic surgery, esophageal surgery, liver surgery and gastric surgery. Recently, the raising of the minimum volume for complex esophageal interventions by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in Germany from 10 up to 26 procedures per hospital and year, reignited the debate on this topic as well as the debate on centralization in the healthcare system in general. This decision seems to be scientifically well-justified from the perspective of political bodies and realizable in the practical implementation; however, from the perspective of physicians routinely involved in the corresponding highly complex procedures, there is a very much broader basis for discussion, which is only partially covered by a report of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in the Healthcare System (IQWiG) as the foundation of the decision of the G‑BA. For the scientifically oriented surgical specialist society, in the first instance priority is given to the scientific evidence as the guiding principle. Nevertheless, aspects of the treatment reality cannot and should not be ignored. Therefore, the recommendations of the specialist society must be oriented not only to the quality of results but also to the realistic options for successful implementation in practice. Furthermore, questions of further education, the right of the patient to freedom of choice of the physician and preservation of the attractiveness of the occupational profile of surgeons are immanent topics for the surgical specialist society., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Background: Laparoscopic liver surgery (LLS) is increasingly utilized worldwide due to several potential advantages over open liver surgery., Objective: Analysis and presentation of the advantages and disadvantages of LLS in comparison to open surgery., Material and Methods: Analysis of clinically relevant factors of minimally invasive liver surgery in comparison to open liver surgery in the current literature., Results: In addition to obvious cosmetic advantages, the current literature shows advantages regarding length of hospital stay and quality of life after LLC. In contrast to major liver resections, parenchyma-preserving resections often appear cost-neutral due a shorter postoperative hospital stay compared to conventional liver resections. In addition to particular personnel requirements, LLS also has technical prerequisites, such as a dedicated intraoperative ultrasound system. Furthermore, contrast-enhanced laparoscopic examinations are possible and ultrasound information can be fused with preoperative imaging. Virtual reality technology and 3‑dimensional printing are currently under investigation to improve the intraoperative anatomical orientation of LLS., Conclusion: The current literature reveals significant advantages for LLS so that this procedure should be further developed in Germany in order to offer this technique to as many patients as possible.

The surgical treatment of gastric cancer has arrived at a turning point towards the routine application of minimally invasive techniques. After the first results of prospective randomized trials from Asia confirmed the surgical and oncological safety, the latest results of international trials provided evidence for minimally invasive gastrectomy of advanced gastric cancer in a multimodal setting. A new addition in the field of minimally invasive procedures is robotic-assisted surgical techniques, which have already been implemented for these indications in many centers in Germany. The technical advantages that are applicable in the robotics setting in comparison to laparoscopy lead to a rapid dissemination of the procedure but still need to be evaluated in controlled trials. Further developments for the surgical treatment of gastric cancer are found in the field of intraoperative imaging procedures. In this field various technologies are available, such as fluorescence imaging using a near-infrared camera, which requires the use of a fluorescent agent or the hyperspectral camera system, which does not require the application of a fluorophore and merges pictures from visible and non-visible wavelengths to a functional image. It is to be expected that in the future various technological advancements can make a valuable contribution to the surgical treatment of gastric cancer in the clinical routine, especially if they support and facilitate the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Background: Echinococcosis is a rare parasitosis in Germany for which the World Health Organization recommends stage-specific treatment strategies., Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the treatment results of patients with hepatic echinococcosis at a German center of excellence for liver surgery., Methods: Patients who underwent surgery for hepatic echinococcosis between 2009 and 2018 at the University Hospital of Mainz (UMM) were included in this follow-up examination. The investigation included a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen, documentation of the quality of life (QoL), serological and laboratory parameters. In addition, an online survey was performed among surgeons from Middle Rhein and gastroenterologists from Rhineland-Palatinate., Results: At the UMM 25 surgical interventions were performed for hepatic echinococcosis: 9 for cystic (CE) and 16 for alveolar echinococcosis (AE). The majority of the interventions were major liver resections with additional vascular and biliary procedures. The 90-day mortality was 0%, and 4 grade 3a and 1 grade 4b complications occurred. In contrast to AE 75% of the postoperative serological results of patients with CE remained positive for more than 1 year postoperatively. Most participants in the survey knew the imaging characteristics and treatment options of AE and CE; however, many participants were unaware of the cost of the treatment., Conclusion: From the perspective of surgeons, hepatic echinococcosis is a challenge, which however can be curatively treated with a low morbidity despite advanced disease in many patients. Due to the low incidence of the disease, the state of knowledge about AE and CE is limited among physicians.

Resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) is a potential curative treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with liver-limited disease (LLD). Although long-term survival improved considerably within the last decades, high recurrence rates of 50-75% after resection remain a major challenge.Tecemotide (L-BLP25) is an antigen-specific cancer vaccine inducing immunity against mucin-1 (MUC1). The LICC trial aimed to improve survival in patients with mCRC after R0/R1 resection of CRLM. LICC was a binational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase 2 study including patients with R0/R1 resected CRLM without evidence of metastatic disease outside the liver. Co-primary endpoints were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and 3-year overall survival (OS) rate, secondary endpoints were RFS and OS in subgroups with different MUC1 expression and safety. In total, 121 patients were 2:1 randomized between Oct 2011 and Dec 2014to receive tecemotide (N=79) or placebo (N=42). Baseline characteristics were well balanced. Median RFS was 6.1 months (95% CI 4.5-8.9) and 11.4 months (95% CI 3.7-21.2) ( P = .1754), 3-year OS rate 69.1% and 79.1%, median OS 62.8 months and not reached in the tecemotide vs. placebo arm ( P = .2141), respectively. Cox regression models revealed no dependence of RFS or OS on MUC1 expression. The most common tecemotide-related grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhea, injection site reaction, intestinal perforation, peritonitis and tinnitus (1.3% each). The LICC trial failed to meet its primary endpoints of significantly improving RFS and OS with tecemotide. However, both arms showed unexpectedly long OS. MUC1 expression was not associated with outcome.EudraCT No: 2011-000218-20Clinical Trial Information: NCT01462513Financial Support: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany., Abbreviations: AE: adverse event; CP: cyclophosphamide; CRC: colorectal cancer; CT: computed tomography; ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; FU: follow-up; HR: hazard ratio; IHC: immunohistochemical staining; ITT: intention-to-treat; DSMB: Data Safety Monitoring Board; LLD: liver-limited disease; mCRC: metastatic colorectal cancer; MPLA: monophosphoryl lipid; AMRI: magnetic resonance imaging; MUC1: mucin 1; NA: not applicable; NCI-CTCAE: National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events; NS: normal saline; NSCLC: non-small-cell lung carcinoma; OS: overall surviva; lPP: per protocol; RAS: Rat sarcoma; RFS: recurrence-free survival; TEAE: treatment-emergent adverse event; UICC: Union for International Cancer Control; US: ultrasound; vs.: versus., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.)

Background: With the introduction of minimally invasive esophagectomy, postoperative complications rates have decreased. Daily laboratory tests are used to screen patients for postoperative complications. The course of inflammatory indicators after esophagectomy after different surgical approaches has not been described yet. The aim of the study was to describe the postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte levels after different surgical approaches for esophagectomy and relate it to postoperative complications., Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, 217 consecutive patients underwent thoracoabdominal esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction. Blood tests to assess CRP and leukocytes were performed daily in all patients. Differences between treatment groups were analyzed with a linear mixed model. All postoperative complications were recorded in a prospective database. Prognostic factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression modeling., Results: The study evaluated 4 different esophagectomy techniques: open (n = 57), hybrid (n = 53), totally minimally invasive (n = 52), and robot-assisted minimally invasive (n = 55). The increase of inflammatory indicators was significantly higher after open esophagectomy on the first 2 postoperative days compared with the 3 minimally invasive procedures (P < .001). Postoperative CRP values exceeding 200 mg/L on the second postoperative day and open esophagectomy were independently associated with postoperative complications., Conclusions: Open esophagectomy results in significantly higher CRP and leukocyte values compared with hybrid, minimally invasive, and robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy. Open esophagectomy and a CRP increase on the second postoperative day above 200 mg/L are independent positive predictors for postoperative complications in multivariate analysis., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Surgical resection is associated with the best long-term results for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC); however, long-term outcomes are still poor., Objective: The primary aim of this study was to validate the recently proposed MEGNA score and to identify additional prognostic factors influencing short- and long-term survival., Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a German multicenter cohort operated at 10 tertiary centers from 2004 to 2013. Patients were clustered using the MEGNA score and overall survival was analyzed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors for both overall and 90-day survival., Results: A total of 488 patients undergoing liver resection for ICC fulfilled the inclusion criteria and underwent analysis. Median age was 67 years, 72.5% of patients underwent major hepatic resection, and the lymphadenectomy rate was 86.9%. Median overall survival was 32.2 months. The MEGNA score significantly discriminated the long-term overall survival: 0 (68%), I (48%), II (32%), and III (19%) [p <0.001]. In addition, anemia was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.29-2.45; p <0.01)., Conclusion: Hepatic resection provides the best long-term survival in all risk groups (19-65% overall survival). The MEGNA score is a good discriminator using histopathologic items and age for stratification. Correction of anemia should be attempted in every patient who responds to treatment. Perioperative liver failure remains a clinical challenge and contributes to a relevant number of perioperative deaths.

Background & Aims: Sarcopenia has emerged as a prognostic parameter in numerous cancer entities. Current research favours its role as a determining factor for overall survival (OS) in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC); however, it is unclear whether sarcopenia is a truly independent survival predictor if combined with established prognostic factors., Methods: Between 1997-2018, 417 patients with histopathologically confirmed ICC were referred to our centre, of whom 293 were included in this study. Cross-sectional imaging, laboratory examinations and histopathological reports were retrospectively analysed. Psoas muscle index (PMI) as easy-to-measure marker of sarcopenia was calculated. Using optimal stratification, sex-specific PMI cut-offs were calculated and tested in hazard regression models against previously published risk factors-for the entire cohort, and within resected and non-resected subgroups., Results: Median OS for patients with low respectively high PMI was 23.5 and 34.5 months in the resected subgroup (P = 0.008) and 5.1 and 7.8 months (P = 0.01) in the non-resected subgroup. In multivariate hazard regression models for the entire cohort, low PMI exhibited independent predictive value (P = 0.01) as did translobar tumour spread (P = 0.005), extrahepatic extension (P = 0.03), tumour boundary type (P < 0.001), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels (P = 0.001), alkaline phosphatase levels (P = 0.001) and distant metastasis (P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, low PMI remained predictive among non-resected patients (P = 0.03), but lost its predictive value among resected patients (P = 0.15)., Conclusions: Psoas muscle index strongly predicted OS in univariate analysis. However, addition of established risk factors eliminated its predictive value among resected patients. Thus, when resection is deemed oncologically reasonable, patients should not be excluded from surgery because of sarcopenia alone., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is a complex yet curative treatment for a subset of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Due to donor organ shortage, patients with HCC need to be carefully selected for LT. In European countries, selection of patients is based on the Milan criteria, and donor organs are allocated by Eurotransplant. In order to optimize the utilization of available liver grafts, the outcome of HCC patients after LT needs to be closely monitored and evaluated., Methods: We assessed the outcome of 304 HCC patients who underwent LT at a tertiary medical center over a period of nearly 20 years (February 1998 until June 2017)., Results: The 5-, 10- and 15-year survival rates were 62, 47 and 30%, respectively. The strongest survival-determining factor was tumour recurrence. Apart from a high tumour grading, the pre-LT MELD score was significantly and negatively associated with survival after LT., Conclusion: Our results confirm the importance of recurrence for the outcome of HCC patients after LT and highlight the relevance of HCC patients' liver function before LT. Our findings encourage efforts to identify prognostically relevant factors for LT in HCC with the overall goal of refining the organ allocation system and maximizing the survival benefit after LT., (Copyright © 2018 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Liver transplantation (LTx) is the only treatment for patients with end-stage liver failure. This report focuses on 45 deceased donor liver allografts allocated through Eurotransplant as "rescue offers," which were accepted and subsequently transplanted at our center over a two-year period. These organs had been officially offered to and rejected by other transplant centers a total of 162 times prior to our acceptance. Primary nonfunction was observed in six patients. Two of them died and four were retransplanted. Overall patient survival was 84.4%. LTx with such "rescue organs" constitutes an additional transplant option and a safe mechanism to "rescue" organs within Eurotransplant.

Background: Caroli's disease is a rare congenital disorder characterized by multifocal segmental dilation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Whether conservative or surgical strategies should be preferred is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of surgery in the management of Caroli's disease., Study Design: From April 1998 until August 2005, 12 consecutive patients with Caroli's disease were treated in the Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Germany. All patients were intended to receive liver resections or liver transplantations., Results: There were seven men and five women, with a median age of 39 years (range 7 months to 70 years). Eight patients had monolobar and four patients had bilobar liver involvement. All patients had a history of recurrent cholangitis, with up to 16 unsuccessful conservative treatment attempts. Nine patients (75%) underwent liver resection and two (17%) had liver transplantation. Intraoperatively, three patients (25%) were found to have cholangiocarcinoma, of which one was unresectable. There was no mortality and only low morbidity (16%) postoperatively. After a median followup of 31 months, 11 patients are well with no recurrent symptoms., Conclusions: Surgery can offer a definite therapy, with an acceptable morbidity and virtually no mortality in localized Caroli's disease. In diffuse disease, the use of extended resections or liver transplantation can provide good longterm results.