The impact of a micro-lightguide spectrophotometer on the intraoperative assessment of hepatic microcirculation: a pilot study.

Introduction: The intraoperative measurement of the peripheral microperfusion after liver transplantation is connected with quite an effort and a continuous evaluation in the postoperative follow up is not possible till now.

Patients And Methods: Before mobilization of the liver during surgical intervention the following parameters were measured on the surface of the right (segment 7/8) and the left (segment 2/3) liver lobe with a probe, combining laser-Doppler-flowmetry and tissue-spectrometry: the oxygen saturation (SO2), the relative capillary hemoglobin concentration (rHB), the blood flow (flow) and the blood flow velocity (velo). In addition the peripheral oxygen saturation (SPO2), the central venous pressure (ZVP), the positive endexspiratory pressure (PEEP) and the hemoglobin (HB) were documented.

Results: 9 patients (median age 75 years) were included in the study. SPO2, ZVP, PEEP and HB were regular. The parameters SO2, rHB, flow and velo showed no significant changes between the right and the left liver lobe.

Conclusions: The O2C-method allows a reproducible intraoperative evaluation of the hepatic microcirculation.