Objective To study the changes of liver function and its clinical significance during the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by hepatic arterial and segmental arterial embolization. Methods Hepatic arterial embolization (conventional LP-TAE) was performed in 52 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and segmental arterial embolizational(segmental LP-TAE) was done in 33 cases. The main data of the change of liver function were reviewed in three days and six months after treatment. All cases were followed up for 1 to 5 years. Results The change of ALT, AST, ALP, TBIL in conventional LP-TAE were remarkably increased than that in segmental LP-TAE after three days (P=0.000). After six months by LP-TAE, the Child of liver function in segmental group decreased obviously lighter than that in conventional group (P=0.000). The survival rates at 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 90.9%, 60.6% and 30.3% in segmental LP-TAE, respectively, and 61.5%, 21.2% and 7.7%, in conventional LP-TAE, respectively (P =0.003, P =0.000, P =0.006). Conclusion Segmental LP-TAE possesses stronger anticancerous effect and much less damage to liver function. Segmental LP-TAE is obviously superior than conventional LP-TAE in long term effectiveness.

The rapid absorption of labial alveolar bone after tooth extraction not only reduces the aesthetic effect of implant repair but also affects the long-term success rate of implants. The socket shield technique is reported as the latest alveolar preservation technique in the aesthetic zone from both domestic and international case reports and shows a high success rate of short-term osseointegration and excellent aesthetic effects. However, some investigations have shown short- and long-term complications with the socket shield technique, such as failure of osseointegration, loss of crestal bone and buccal bone, inflammation, etc. In this review, the socket shield technique will be reported in detail with its pros and cons. Although the socket shield technique has achieved good clinical effects and short-term success rates in many cases, there are still no conclusions regarding the surgical procedure, such as the thickness, the position of the shield, whether to put the graft material between the shield and implant, etc. Due to the lack of long-term research or a large amount of clinical literature support and technical sensitivity, the socket shield technique should be carefully used in clinical application to reduce unexpected risks.