Publications by authors named "Schmelzle M"

BACKGROUND Kidney transplantation is still the best therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease, but the demand for donor organs persistently surpasses the supply. A prognostic model using pre-transplant data for the prediction of renal graft function would be helpful to optimize organ allocation and avoid futile transplantations. MATERIAL AND METHODS Retrospective data of 2431 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between January 01, 2000, and December 31, 2012 with subsequent ten-year clinical follow-up in our transplant center were analyzed.

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  • A study was conducted to compare robotic minor liver resections (RMLR) with laparoscopic minor liver resections (LMLR) in patients undergoing surgery on the anterolateral liver segments.
  • The analysis included over 10,000 patients and employed propensity score matching to balance the groups for accuracy in comparisons.
  • Results indicated RMLR had benefits like less blood loss, lower major morbidity, and shorter hospital stays than LMLR, although the difference in 30-day readmission rates suggested RMLR may have some drawbacks.
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Lymphocele formation is a rare complication after surgical procedures involving the mediastinum. While uncomplicated lymphoceles show high rates of spontaneous closure and are usually treated conservatively, surgical treatment might be required in cases with persistent or recurrent lymphoceles. We present the case of a 53-year-old male with reoccurring cervical swelling after two surgeries of the thoracic aorta.

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Liver fibrosis progressing to cirrhosis is a major risk factor for liver cancer, impacting surgical treatment and survival. Our study focuses on the role of extracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (eNAD) in liver fibrosis, analyzing liver disease patients undergoing surgery. Additionally, we explore NAD's therapeutic potential in a mouse model of extended liver resection and in vitro using 3D hepatocyte spheroids.

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Gender-specific differences in hepatobiliary and transplantation surgery are decisive for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term outcomes. Men exhibit a higher risk of late recurrences and cancer-specific death after liver cancer resection. The emphasis on screening recommendations and ensuring equal access to treatment options are vital to minimize disparities.

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  • The study investigates the risk factors and outcomes related to open conversion during minimally invasive liver resections (MILR), especially in minor hepatectomies, highlighting its association with inferior results.
  • Analysis was conducted on data from over 10,500 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic liver resections from 2004 to 2020, identifying key independent predictors for open conversion.
  • Results show that patients who required open conversion experienced longer recovery times, increased blood loss, higher complications, and elevated 90-day mortality rates compared to those who had successful minimally invasive surgeries.
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The rapidly aging population in industrialized countries comes with an increased incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCC) which presents new challenges for oncological treatments especially in elderly patients. Thus, the question arises to what extent the benefit of surgical resections, as the only curative treatment option, outweighs possible perioperative risks in patients ≥ 80 years of age (octogenarians). We therefore retrospectively analyzed 311 patients who underwent resection for iCC at Hannover Medical School between January 1996 and December 2022.

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  • A study was conducted to compare the perioperative outcomes of robotic liver surgery (RLS) and laparoscopic liver surgery (LLS) across various healthcare settings from 2009 to 2021.
  • The results showed that RLS had better outcomes in terms of "textbook outcomes," lower blood loss, fewer complications, and shorter operative times compared to LLS after matching patient groups for bias.
  • Despite the higher costs generally associated with robotic surgery, this study suggests that RLS may offer specific clinical advantages over LLS in minimally invasive liver procedures.
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  • Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a major cause of short-term death after liver surgery, and this study evaluates the effectiveness of two liver function tests: APRI+ALBI and LiMAx.
  • The study analyzed 352 patients from four European centers, comparing the predictive potential of both tests for significant PHLF and 90-day mortality using statistical methods.
  • Results showed that APRI+ALBI was more effective than LiMAx in predicting PHLF grades B and C as well as 90-day mortality, and it was also less costly and less labor-intensive.
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Background: Recurrence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after liver resection (LR) remains high, and optimal therapy for recurrent ICC is challenging. Herein, we assess the outcomes of patients undergoing repeat resection for recurrent ICC in a large, international multicenter cohort.

Patients And Methods: Outcomes of adults from six large hepatobiliary centers in North America, Europe, and Asia with recurrent ICC following primary LR between 2001 and 2015 were analyzed.

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Introduction: In view of the high therapeutic value of surgical resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICC), our study addresses the question of clinical management and outcome in case of borderline resectability requiring hypertrophy induction of the future liver remnant prior to resection.

Methods: Clinical data was collected of all primary ICC cases receiving major liver resection with or without prior portal vein embolization (PVE) from a single high-volume center. PVE was performed via a percutaneous transhepatic access.

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  • Machine perfusion (EVMP) is a new method used for preserving solid organs, particularly in organ transplants, that improves upon traditional cold preservation by allowing for better monitoring and reducing damage during preservation.
  • This technique has broadened the donor pool by including organs from expanded criteria donors, such as those from circulatory death cases, and shows potential for treating and modifying diseased organs.
  • The review discusses key differences in EVMP applications for various organs (kidney, liver, lung, heart) and explores both the benefits and limitations of this technique, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary approaches in its development.
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Background & Aims: There is controversy regarding the optimal calcineurin inhibitor type after liver transplant(ation) (LT) for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We compared tacrolimus with cyclosporine in a propensity score-matched intention-to-treat analysis based on registries representing nearly all LTs in Europe and the US.

Methods: From the European Liver Transplant Registry (ELTR) and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), we included adult patients with PSC undergoing a primary LT between 2000-2020.

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Purpose: The present study assesses long-term overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) after curative resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) depending on resection margin (RM) status and lymph node (LN) status.

Methods: Clinical data of all consecutively resected patients with ICCA at a single high-volume center between 2005 and 2018 were collected. Minimum follow-up was 36 months.

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Background: Major surgery, along with preoperative cholestasis-related complications, are responsible for the increased risk of morbidity and mortality in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). The aim of the present survey is to provide a snapshot of current preoperative management and optimization strategies in Europe.

Methods: 61 European centers, experienced in hepato-biliary surgery completed a 59-questions survey regarding pCCA preoperative management.

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  • Tumor size (TS) impacts intraoperative outcomes in laparoscopic major hepatectomy (L-MH), with this study aiming to clarify its effects and find optimal TS cutoffs for assessing surgical difficulty.
  • The analysis, which included 1396 patients from a larger pool of 3008 undergoing L-MH, identified two critical TS cutoffs at 50 mm and 100 mm that segmented patients into three distinct groups.
  • Results showed that larger TS correlated with increased open conversion rates, longer operation times, higher blood loss, and more intraoperative blood transfusions, while postoperative complications remained similar across the groups.
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  • This study aimed to compare outcomes of robotic limited liver resections (RLLR) and laparoscopic limited liver resections (LLLR) for tumors in the posterosuperior liver segments, noting that previous research had not thoroughly examined the differences in performance and safety between the two approaches.
  • An analysis of data from 3510 patients showed that RLLR had significant advantages over LLLR, including a lower rate of open conversions, reduced blood loss, and shorter operative times, even in patients with cirrhosis.
  • Despite the improved perioperative outcomes for RLLR, postoperative metrics like readmission, morbidity, and mortality rates were similar between both surgical techniques.
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Background: Data on the effect of body mass index on laparoscopic liver resections are conflicting. We performed this study to investigate the association between body mass index and postoperative outcomes after laparoscopic major hepatectomies.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of 4,348 laparoscopic major hepatectomies at 58 centers between 2005 and 2021, of which 3,383 met the study inclusion criteria.

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Purpose: In the era of minimal-invasive surgery, the introduction of robotic liver surgery (RS) was accompanied by concerns about the increased financial expenses of the robotic technique in comparison to the established laparoscopic (LS) and conventional open surgery (OS). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of RS, LS and OS for major hepatectomies in this study.

Methods: We analyzed financial and clinical data on patients who underwent major liver resection for benign and malign lesions from 2017 to 2019 at our department.

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  • Despite advancements in minimally invasive liver surgery, open surgeries are still common, and this study examines the factors that lead to conversions from minimally invasive techniques to open surgery during major hepatectomies.
  • Data from 3880 surgical cases showed that 10.28% resulted in open conversions, with several risk factors identified, such as male sex, liver cirrhosis, and larger tumor sizes, which are linked to increased conversion risk.
  • The study found that those who experienced open conversions had worse outcomes, including longer operation times and higher rates of postoperative complications, although robotic surgery had a lower conversion rate compared to laparoscopic techniques, it still led to significant challenges when conversions did occur.
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Introduction: Postoperative infectious complications (PIC) remain one of the most common complications after surgery. The influence of PIC on long-term survival for patients after liver surgery for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) needs further investigation.

Methods: Data of patients who underwent liver resection for CRLM between 2012 and 2017 at the Department of Surgery, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin were evaluated.

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  • The study aimed to compare outcomes of robotic major hepatectomy (R-MH) versus laparoscopic major hepatectomy (L-MH), exploring whether R-MH offers any advantages.
  • An analysis of 4822 patient cases across 59 centers revealed that R-MH resulted in significantly less blood loss, fewer applications of the Pringle maneuver, and lower rates of conversion to open surgery.
  • Moreover, R-MH showed reduced postoperative morbidity and shorter hospital stays for patients with cirrhosis compared to L-MH, indicating its potential benefits.
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Objectives: Bile leakage (BL) is a challenging complication after hepatobiliary surgery and liver trauma. Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is used to diagnose BL non-invasively. We assessed the value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRCP in the detection of postoperative and post-traumatic BL hypothesizing that exact identification of the leakage site is pivotal for treatment planning and outcome.

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