J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 103(12): 873-876, 2002

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Feature topic

INFECTION AS A MAJOR MORBIDITY IN SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH LIVER CIRRHOSIS

The prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) has been improved by the advanced diagnostic modalities and medical treatment of the disease. During the follow-up period, the opportunity for discovery of carcinomas of the liver and the other digestive organs is increased in LC patients, who are recognized as a compromised hosts with impaired hepatic functional reserve, portal hypertension, and depressed reticuloendothelial function. Thus LC patients are susceptible to infection as a major form of morbidity after surgical treatment, which can result in sepsis and subsequent hepatic failure.
Based on the adequate evaluation of cancer progression and hepatic functional reserve, a procedure yielding the necessary results with the minimum surgical treatment and careful perioperative management should be performed for LC patients to avoid critical complications such as sepsis and hepatic failure.

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