“Adult polycystic liver disease (PCLD) is an autosomal dominant condition commonly associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). However
in the last decade, it has been recognized that there is a distinct form of autosomal dominant PCLD that arises without concomitant ADPKD. Early knowledge of the pathogenesis was gained from the study of hepatic cysts in patients with ADPKD.”
“Liver transplantation (LT) has revolutionized the treatment of cirrhotic patients. However, access to transplant is limited as demand for organs exceeds availability. Current allocation gives the highest priority to patients with the highest mortality risk. Hence, several
patients awaiting LT may deteriorate while waiting for LT.”
Ferreira GF, et al. Parathyroidectomy after kidney transplantation: short-and long-term impact on renal function. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2011;66(3):431-5. Free full-text.
Materials and methods: This was a retrospective case-controlled study. Nineteen patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism underwent parathyroidectomy due to hypercalcemia. The control group included 19 patients undergoing various general and urological operations.
Results: In the parathyroidectomy group, a significant increase in serum creatinine from 1.58 to 2.29 mg/dl (P < 0.05) was noted within the first 5 days after parathyroidectomy. In the control group, a statistically insignificant increase in serum creatinine from 1.49 to 1.65 mg/dl occurred over the same time period. The long-term mean serum creatinine level was not statistically different from baseline either in the parathyroidectomy group (final follow-up creatinine = 1.91 mg/dL) or in the non-parathyroidectomy group (final follow-up creatinine = 1.72 mg/dL).
Conclusion: Although renal function deteriorates in the acute period following parathyroidectomy, long-term stabilization occurs, with renal function similar to both preoperative function and to a control group of kidney-transplanted patients who underwent other general surgical operations by the final follow up.
Continue readingTaghavi S, et al. Comparison of open gastrostomy tube to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube in lung transplant patients. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2015 Dec 23;5 :76-80.
Introduction: Lung transplant patients require a high degree of immunosuppression, which can impair wound healing when surgical procedures are required. We hypothesized that because of impaired healing, lung transplant patients requiring gastrostomy tubes would have better outcomes with open gastrostomy tube (OGT) as compared to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG).
Continue readingLovasik BP. The Freemartin Cattle and Clinical Transplantation: From the Ancients to Modern Day. Transplantation. 2020 Aug;104(8):1537-1541.
Full-text for Emory users.
This historical retrospective explores the study of the freemartin condition and its impact on the discovery of immunologic tolerance and the field of transplant surgery-from the ancient Romans, to early modern anatomists Valsalva, Scarpa, and Hunter, to contemporary immunologists Owen, Medawar, and Billingham, and to legendary transplant surgeon Joseph Murray. The legacy of freemartin cattle in the understanding of acquired tolerance and transplant immunology represents generations of scientific inquiry guided by careful observation and occasional serendipity, and the present-day immunologists and surgeons exploring immune transplant tolerance owe much to the history of the freemartin, several millennia in the making.
Kao LS, Flowers C, Flum DR. Prophylactic cholecystectomy in transplant patients: a decision analysis. J Gastrointest Surg. 2005 Sep-Oct;9(7):965-72.
Full-text for Emory users.
Klintmalm GB, et al. Belatacept-based immunosuppression in de novo liver transplant recipients: 1-year experience from a phase II randomized study. Am J Transplant. 2014 Aug;14(8):1817-27.
“This exploratory phase II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of belatacept in de novo adult liver transplant recipients. Patients were randomized (N = 260) to one of the following immunosuppressive regimens: (i) basiliximab + belatacept high dose [HD] + mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), (ii) belatacept HD + MMF, (iii) belatacept low dose [LD] + MMF, (iv) tacrolimus + MMF, or (v) tacrolimus alone. Continue reading
Surgical Focus 