Publications by authors named "Victor Lopez-Lopez"

Minimally invasive liver surgery has become widely accepted as a safe and effective approach, especially with experienced surgeons. Robotic hepatectomy may offer significant benefits in challenging procedures like caudate lobe resection. The caudate lobe's intricate anatomy and deep-seated location make its resection particularly challenging, with limited reports on minimally invasive techniques.

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Background: The adoption of robotic techniques in liver surgery introduces significant challenges for their safe integration within hepatobiliary surgery units. This study is designed to investigate the complexities associated with establishing a robotic surgery program.

Methods: Data on robotic hepatobiliary surgeries were prospectively collected from October 2021 to October 2023.

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  • The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system is crucial for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); recent updates allow for BCLC stage B patients to consider liver transplantation, while hepatectomy is now discouraged.
  • A systematic review analyzed 31 studies involving 3163 patients to compare survival rates, postoperative complications, and patient selection for liver resection versus transplantation in BCLC stage B patients.
  • Results showed that while resection had a 50-month survival and a 15-month recurrence-free period, data on transplantation was limited, with only one study reporting on it, indicating the need for more research in this area.
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  • Breast cancer is prevalent among women, with 20-30% of patients developing metastases, primarily affecting the liver. Patients with liver metastases have a wide range of survival rates, influenced by various factors.
  • This study aimed to assess the long-term survival and disease-free outcomes for patients who had surgery for liver metastases stemming from breast cancer.
  • Results indicated that surgery can enhance long-term survival, with specific patient characteristics (like health status, hormone receptor positivity, and prior treatments) linked to improved outcomes.
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Objective: We analyzed the use of a self-expandable absorbable biliary stent (SEABS) to reduce biliary complications in liver transplant (LT).

Background: Complications related to biliary anastomosis are a still a challenge in LT with a high impact on the patient outcomes and hospital costs.

Methods: This non-randomized prospective study was conducted between July 2019 and September 2023 in adult LT patients with duct-to-duct biliary anastomoses.

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  • A study monitored 63 patients' motor activity, distal temperature, and light exposure over a week using a wrist device to explore the connection between circadian rhythms and liver disease severity.
  • Findings revealed that as liver disease worsens (as indicated by the Child-Pugh score), so do circadian parameters, suggesting that monitoring these rhythms could improve care strategies and overall quality of life for patients awaiting transplantation.
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  • The study aimed to establish a common language regarding extreme liver surgery to facilitate better comparison of surgical outcomes across different centers.
  • A Delphi methodology was used, gathering opinions from 38 expert surgeons, who largely agreed on key definitions related to total vascular occlusion and surgical approaches, achieving consensus on various topics.
  • Ultimately, 75% agreed on a definition for extreme liver surgery, highlighting the importance of a unified approach in managing patients with complex liver diseases.
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  • * The study focuses on the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in liver inflammation and cell death, examining its activation in liver transplant patients to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
  • * Results show greater inflammasome activation and gene expression in DCD liver samples, correlating with lower survival rates post-transplant, suggesting that monitoring inflammasome activity could be important for improving transplant outcomes.
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Background: In recent years, there has been growing interest in laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) and the audit of the results of surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to define reference values for LLR in segments 7 and 8.

Study Design: Data on LLR in segments 7 and 8 between January 2000 and December 2020 were collected from 19 expert centers.

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Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is crucial for end-stage liver disease patients, but organ shortages persist. Donation after circulatory death (DCD) aims to broaden the donor pool but presents challenges. Complications like acute rejection, hepatic artery thrombosis, and biliary issues still impact posttransplant prognosis.

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  • * Data from 808 patients were analyzed, revealing that 46.9% achieved TO, with significantly lower overall complications (11.9% vs. 86%) compared to those who did not achieve TO, leading to increased major complications and mortality rates.
  • * Factors enhancing the likelihood of achieving TO include treatment at specialized centers, initial surgery transfer, and conservative or surgical management, highlighting the importance of effective perioperative care in managing BDI.
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Background: Postoperative complications after perihilar cholangiocarcinoma surgical procedure are still very high. The implementation of a multimodal prehabilitation program could improve these outcomes. Based on our experience and that of the literature in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, we propose a protocol to promote its implementation.

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Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more useful as a decision-making and outcomes predictor tool. We have developed AI models to predict surgical complexity and the postoperative course in laparoscopic liver surgery for segments 7 and 8.

Methods: We included patients with lesions located in segments 7 and 8 operated by minimally invasive liver surgery from an international multi-institutional database.

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Background: Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile ducts (IPNB) is a rare disease in Western countries. The aim of this study was to compare tumor characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes between Western and Eastern patients who underwent surgical resection for IPNB.

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective series of patients with IPNB undergoing surgery between January 2010 and December 2020 was gathered under the auspices of the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA), and at Nagoya University Hospital, Japan.

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Background: Despite the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there is an unmet need regarding subsequent treatments in patients that fail ICI. Regorafenib is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, which could increase programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumors and increase intra-tumoral CD8 T-cell infiltration by normalizing the cancer vasculature and improving the efficacy of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody. Thus, we evaluated the combination of regorafenib and a PD-1 inhibitor for advanced HCC patients that had failed combined tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus ICI.

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DAMPs (danger-associated molecular patterns) are self-molecules of the organism that appear after damage. The endothelium plays several roles in organ rejection, such as presenting alloantigens to T cells and contributing to the development of inflammation and thrombosis. This study aimed to assess whether DAMPs present in the organ preservation solution (OPS) after cold ischemic storage (CIS) contribute to exacerbating the endothelial response to an inflammatory challenge and whether defibrotide treatment could counteract this effect.

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Background: Current staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still have limitations in clinical practice. Our study aimed to explore the prognostic factors and develop a new nomogram to predict the cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with HCC.

Methods: A total of 6,166 HCC patients were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

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Among antihyperglycemic drugs used for treating diabetes, α-glucosidase inhibitors generate the least adverse effects. This contribution aimed to evaluate the potential antidiabetic activity of L. by testing its in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition and in vivo antihyperglycemic effects on rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes.

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There is increasingly growing evidence and awareness that prehabilitation in waitlisted solid organ transplant candidates may benefit clinical transplant outcomes and improve the patient's overall health and quality of life. Lifestyle changes, consisting of physical training, dietary management, and psychosocial interventions, aim to optimize the patient's physical and mental health before undergoing surgery, so as to enhance their ability to overcome procedure-associated stress, reduce complications, and accelerate post-operative recovery. Clinical data are promising but few, and evidence-based recommendations are scarce.

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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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