Abstract:Objective:To explore the operative procedure and perioperative management of gastric cancer with liver cirrhosis.
Methods :Clinical data of 28 cases of gastric cancer with liver cirrhosis who were surgically treated in our hospital during the last seven years were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperatively, a detailed examination, and improvement of their nutritional status, liver function, and prothrombin time were aggressively made, and the possibility of tumor removal was estimated. Seven patients underwent radical proximal subtotal gastrectomy, and 4 of these cases underwent splenectomy and pericardial devascularizaion simultaneously. Five cases underwent total gastrectomy, and 3 of them had splenectomy and pericardial devascularizaion simultaneously. Twelve patients underwent radical distal subtotal gastrectomy, and 5 of these cases had splenectomy and suture of pericardial varices simultaneously. Four patients had palliative distal subtotal gastrectomy. The support of liver function and intense monitoring and management of complications were carried out postoperatively.
Results:Varying degrees of ascites occurred in all the 28 patients postoperatively, and other complications such as early liver coma occurred in five patients, extensive wound bleeding in three patients, left subdiaphragmatic abscess in one patient and wound infection in two patients. The morbidity rate was 100%(28/28). However, all the complications were recovered by non-surgical treatment. There were no perioperative deaths in this series.
Conclusions:Gastric cancer patients with liver cirrhosis are at a significant risk of developing postoperative complications. The surgical procedure should the “individual” principle based on liver function, history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and the location of gastric carcinoma. Good hepatic reserve and perioperative care, meticulous hemostasis during operation, and prevention and treatment of postoperative complications are the likely determinants of operative prognosis.