Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing portal hypertension (PHT). Laparoscopic splenectomy plus esophagogastric devascularization (LSED) is an important surgery for treating PHT. However, the variation trend of HVPG after surgery is not clear. Moreover, whether HVPG can provide precise prognostic information for patients undergoing surgery remains to be further studied. This study aimed to investigate the independent prognostic value of HVPG in LSED. From January 2016 to March 2023, 135 patients with PHT underwent LSED at our hospital were retrospectively evaluated. We analyzed the correlations between clinical indicators and history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Among them, 57 patients remeasured postoperative HVPG. We further investigated the postoperative alterations of HVPG and correlative factors, as well as the relationship between the HVPG and postoperative UGIB. In this study, we found that 94 patients with preoperative UGIB (16.27 ± 5.73 mmHg) had a higher baseline HVPG than the other 41 patients without (14.02 ± 5.90 mmHg) (p = 0.04). The mean postoperative HVPG significantly decreased (-3.57 ± 8.09 mmHg, p = 0.001) compared to the baseline, and 66

Introduction and objectivesLaparoscopic splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (LSED) are minimally invasive, effective, and safe in treating esophageal-fundic variceal bleeding with portal hypertension (PHT). The study aimed to assess the learning curve of LSED by cumulative summation (CUSUM) analysis. The 10-year follow-up data for LSED and open surgery were also examined.Patients and methodsFive hundred and ninety-four patients were retrospectively analyzed. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, open operation conversion, and postoperative complications were selected as the evaluation indicators of surgical ability. The learning curve of LESD was assessed by the CUSUM approach. Patient features, perioperative indices, and 10-year follow-up data were examined.ResultsTotally 236 patients underwent open surgery, and 358 underwent LSED. Patient characteristics were similar between groups. The LSED patients experienced less intraoperative blood loss, fewer complications, and faster recovery compared to the open surgery cohort. The learning curve of LESD was maximal for a case number of 50. Preoperative general characteristics were comparable for both stages. But the skilled stage had decreased operation time, reduced blood loss, less postoperative complications, and better recovery compared to the learning stage. The LSED group had higher recurrent hemorrhage-free survival rate and increased overall survival in comparison with cases administered open surgery in the 10-year follow-up. Free-liver cancer rates were similar between two groups.ConclusionsAbout 50 cases are needed to master the LSED procedure. Compared to open surgery, LSED is a safer, feasible, and safe procedure for PHT patients, correlating with decreased rebleeding rate and better overall survival.

Background: Portal veinous system thrombosis (PVST) is a common complication after laparoscopic splenectomy plus esophagogastric devascularization (LSED). Anticoagulation therapy was still in debate in LSED perioperation. This study aimed to determine the postoperative risk factors of PVST, the efficacy and safety of the anticoagulation therapy after LSED procedure, and the potential impact of anticoagulation on patients' liver function and overall survival (OS).Methods: Three hundred patients who underwent LSED were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed in the study. The characteristics of patients, perioperative parameters, risk of PVST, and long-term follow-up data were recorded and analyzed.Results: One hundred eighty six of 300 patients received perioperative anticoagulation therapy (p-AT) postoperation, while 114 patients did not receive p-AT (non-p-AT). The non-p-AT group had more intraoperative blood loss, PVST, longer abdominal drain days, and postoperative hospital stays separately compared with the p-AT group. No significant difference of postoperative complications was found between the two groups. In the 1-year follow-up postoperation, both groups had great improvement in hypersplenism and the portal vein hemodynamics. During the 10-year follow-up period, the incidence of PVST was significantly higher in the non-p-AT group than in the p-AT group. Anticoagulation therapy, sex, variceal hemorrhage history, portal vein diameter, and portal vein velocity were the independent prognostic factors determined by the Cox regression analysis for PVST. The thrombosis-free survival rate (P = .002), recurrent hemorrhage-free survival rate (P < .01), and the OS rate (P < .01) were significantly lower in the non-p-AT group than in the p-AT group.Conclusions: The initiate use of anticoagulation therapy in postoperation of LSED is effective and safe in cirrhotic patients. The anticoagulation therapy after LSED will help decrease portal vein thrombosis, the rebleeding rate, and extend the OS of the patients, especially among women, with variceal hemorrhage history, high portal vein diameter, and low portal vein velocity.

Background and aims:Splenomegaly often occurs in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension (PHT), and therefore, the efficacy and accuracy of conventional methods for measuring splenic volume are a matter of question in these patients. Here, we developed a novel approach to assess true splenic volume more precisely. Methods:High-quality thin-slice computed tomography data of 112 cirrhotic patients with PHT were obtained and reviewed. Both the conventional measurement and a novel formula obtained from 3-dimensional reconstruction software were used to estimate splenic volume, and the accuracy was compared and verified. Results:In PHT patients, the splenic volume calculated using the conventional method was significantly less than that calculated using the 3-dimensional software. We found that the splenic volume was significantly positively correlated with splenic indices of length (L), thickness (T), and width (W) and also the diameter of the splenic vein. Using these indices, we propose 2 novel formulas using the software to estimate the splenic volume more accurately: SV = 69.686 × L + 53.077 × W + 103.525 × T + 314.510 × diameter of splenic vein -2266.209 (p < 0.01, R 2  = 0.805). And a more practical simplified formula: SV' = 0.504 × L × W × Τ + 319.762 × diameter of splenic vein -81.66 (p < 0.01, R 2  = 0.784). Conclusion:Although the conventional formula has been widely used for years, it is not suitable for an enlarged spleen. We developed 2 novel formulas for estimating splenic volume from clinical data that were more appropriate for cirrhotic patients with PHT.

BackgroundAlthough hepatectomy plus splenectomy is not regularly recommended for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal hypertension related hypersplenism due to the high risk accompanied with surgical procedures for now. Many researchers still believe that hypersplenism is a controversial adverse prognostic factor for HCC patients. Thus, the primary objective of the study was to determine the effects of hypersplenism on the prognosis of these patients during and after hepatectomy.MethodsA total of 335 patients with HBV-related HCC who underwent surgical resection as primary intervention were included in this study and categorized into three groups. Group A consisted of 226 patients without hypersplenism, Group B included 77 patients with mild hypersplenism, and Group C contained 32 patients with severe hypersplenism. The influence of hypersplenism on the outcome during the perioperative and long-term follow-up periods was analyzed. The independent factors were identified using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.ResultsThe presence of hypersplenism is associated with longer hospital stays, more postoperative blood transfusions, and higher complication rates. The overall survival (OS, P = 0.020) and disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.005) were significantly decreased in Group B compared to those in Group A. Additionally, the OS (P = 0.014) and DFS (P = 0.005) were reduced in Group C compared to those in Group B. Severe hypersplenism was a significant independent prognostic variable for both OS and DFS.ConclusionSevere hypersplenism prolonged the hospital stay, increased the rate of postoperative blood transfusion, and elevated the incidence of complications. Furthermore, hypersplenism predicted lower overall and disease-free survivals.

Background In China, laparoscopic splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (LSED) are effective and safe tools that are used to treat esophageal-fundic variceal bleeding with portal hypertension (PHT) with minimal trauma; however, due to the increased difficulty of operation, their application in massive splenomegaly (MS) remains limited. This study sought to determine the efficacy and safety of LSED in treating MS patients with PHT. Methods The data of 124 patients who underwent LSED by a single surgical team at our department from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The characteristics of the patients, perioperative parameters, and long-term follow-up data were examined. Results A total of 61 MS and 63 mild-to-moderate splenomegaly (MMS) patients underwent LSED. Much larger spleen and significant lower of white blood cells and platelets was found in MS group compared the MMS group preoperation (P<0.05). The MS group had a significantly longer operation time (P=0.009), more blood loss (P=0.003), and more abdominal drainage days (P=0.017) than the MMS group. Four patients in the MS group and 0 patients in the MMS group were converted to open surgery. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups in terms of postoperative complications. Nine patients in the MMS group and 10 in the MMS group experienced recurrent bleeding in the follow-up period, but no significant differences were observed in terms of recurrent bleeding and overall survival (OS) between the 2 groups. Conclusions LSED can be used to treat MS patients with PHT under careful perioperative management. For experienced surgeons, LSED is a safe, feasible, and minimally invasive procedure with satisfactory long-term outcomes that can be used to treat MS patients with PHT. Keywords Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS); massive splenomegaly (MS); devascularization; portal hypertension (PHT)

BACKGROUND:Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are primarily involved in liver fibrosis and portal hypertension (PHT). We aimed to investigate the effect of miR-20b-5p on HSCs, liver fibrosis, and PHT.METHODS:MiR-20b-5p expression in HSCs and in mouse liver fibrosis was determined by qPCR. Further, the effects of miR-20b-5p mimic on HSCs migration, proliferation, and apoptosis were investigated in vitro. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the direct interaction between miR-20b-5p and STAT3. In vivo, mouse liver fibrosis was established by common bile duct ligation and intervened by agomiR-20b-5p. Sirius red staining and hydroxyproline content were used to evaluate collagen deposition. The α-SMA expression in the liver was detected by IHC and Western blotting. The STAT3 signaling pathway and its downregulated cytokines as well as portal pressure and angiogenesis were explored.RESULTS:MiR-20b-5p was significantly downregulated during HSCs activation and in mouse liver fibrosis. The functional analyses demonstrated that miR-20b-5p inhibited cell proliferation, activation, and promoted apoptosis in HSCs in vitro. Moreover, miR-20b-5p regulated STAT3 expression by binding to the 3'UTR of its miRNA directly. Overexpression of miR-20b-5p facilitated HSC activation and proliferation by inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway. MiR-20b-5p overexpression suppressed the STAT3 and its downstream cytokines and ameliorated liver fibrosis in mice. The intra- and inter-hepatic angiogenesis were also effectively inhibited. The inhibition of liver fibrosis and neoangiogenesis contributed to the decrease of portal pressure.CONCLUSIONS:MiR-20b-5p plays an important role in the fibrosis and angiogenesis of liver fibrosis by targeting the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To establish a risk prediction model of conversion to open surgery during laparoscopic splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (LSED) and evaluate the impact of this conversion on patients' short-term prognosis.Methods:A total of 358 cirrhotic portal hypertension patients admitted to the Department of General Surgery , Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University from Feb 2011 to Nov 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent attempted LSED. Univariate and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Logistic regression were used to analyze the independent risk factors for conversion to laparotomy, and the R language was used to build a nomogram prediction model for conversion to laparotomy. The intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the two groups were compared.Results:A total of 358 patients were included in this study, of which 31(8.7%). patients were converted to open surgery. In univariate analysis, high MELD score, BMI ≥24 kg/m 2, history of upper abdominal surgery, red sign of the varicose, low platelet count and prolonged PT are risk factors for conversion . LASSO regression finally identified 5 factors: MELD, BMI, PLT, history of surgery, and red sign. In the nomogram prediction model the area under ROC curve was 0.831. The conversion led to longer operation time; increased blood loss; prolonged postoperative abdominal drainage , longer hospital stay, and increased perioperative complications ( t=-2.167, P=0.031; Z=-4.350, P<0.01; Z=-3.102, P=0.002; Z=-3.454, P=0.001; χ2=8.773, P=0.003). Conclusions:LASSO regression selected five indicators with greatest impact on intraoperative conversion: MELD, BMI, PLT, red sign, and previous history of abdominal surgery. The nomogram prediction model established has good prediction ability. Patients converted to open surgery had worse short-term outcomes.

Background: Laparoscopic splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (LSED) are minimal invasive, effective and safe in treating esophageal-fundic variceal bleeding with portal hypertension (PHT). The study aimed to determine the efficacy of LSED on liver regeneration and function. Methods: Sixty-three patients were retrospectively analyzed. Liver volume (LV) was measured by a 3-D simulation imaging system. Clinical data and long-term follow-up data were recorded.Results: 45 patients were found LV increased after LSED operation. Portal vein hemodynamics, hypersplenism and liver function were improved after LSED. Patients with larger splenic length and higher albumin levels before LSED showed an increased rate of postoperative LV. Anticoagulation therapy after LSED also contributed to the LV.Conclusions: LSED in patients with cirrhotic PHT improved pancytopenia, liver function, and portal vein hemodynamics. Patients with huge splenomegaly and higher albumin levels combined with postoperative anticoagulation therapy were expected to have more chance of LV increase and liver function improvement.