Objective To discuss the clinical application of individualized strategy of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the treatment of bile duct stenosis after liver transplantation (LT).Methods Fifty-two patients,including 40 men and 12 women,aged 54.3 ± 9.1 years old,who suffered from bile duct stenosis and accepted 88 times of ERCP from June 2014 to May 2016 in our department were investigated.The procedures,clinical features and biochemical criteria were analyzed retrospectively.Results According to the treating occasions and clinical symptoms,single plastic stent,dilatation combined with single plastic stent,and dilatation combined with multiple plastic stents were chosen to use.ERCP in 8 patients out of 52 patients failed technically,and the therapeutic efficacy was 82.7％.The treatment duration was 8.2 ± 2.9 months.The recurrence rate was 4.7％ (2 cases) during the follow-up period.The most common complications were postERCP pancreatitis (2.3％) and cholangitis (3.4％),which would be cured by conservative treatment in most cases.Conclusion ERCP,as an effective and safe method,could be used as the first choice or bridge treatment for bile duct stricture after LT.We recommend individualization strategy,including step by step mode and different combinations of PTC or endoscopic procedures,in order to improve clinical efficacy of all kinds of stricture.

Objective To explore the safety of Habib VesOpen bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) catheter used in the treatment of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Methods A total of 10 miniature pigs were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group A(n=6):RFA of normal portal vein was directly performed;group B (n=2): balloon obstruction of the portal vein was performed first, which was followed by RFA for the fresh thrombus in the portal vein; group C (n=2): PVTT model was established first, and RFA of the portal vein was carried out when the portal thrombus became organized. MRI examination was employed at one, 3 and 4 weeks after RFA; the animals were sacrificed 4 weeks after RFA and pathological examination of portal vein was performed. Results Pigs of group A received portal vein RFA under the condition of 5 W power for 0.6-3.6 min. No obvious abnormality was detected by MRI and pathological examination , which were performed one month after the treatment. In the pigs of group B , MRI performed after RFA showed that the damage of portal vein area was more serious than that in the pigs of group A;abdominal MRI examination performed at one, 3 and 4 weeks after RFA showed that the portal venous edema was gradually decreased;pathological examination at one month after RFA demonstrated serious injury of adjacent liver tissue. Pigs of group C received portal vein RFA under the condition of 7 W power for 1.5 min; no obvious edema of the ablated area was observed on MRI performed after RFA , and pathological examination revealed organized thrombus necrosis and va scular endothelial cell damage. Conclusion When Habib VesOpen bipolar RFA catheter is used for the treatment of PVTT, the RFA power and time should be properly selected according to the severity of PVTT. In order to ensure a safer procedure, high power and short ablation time should be used when the severity of PVTT is mild, while low power and longer ablation time are recommended when the PVTT is more severe.

Objective:Characteristics of the retroperitoneal tumor blood supply arteries were analyzed to evaluate the safety and effec-tiveness of preoperative interventional embolization for benign and malignant retroperitoneal tumors. Methods:A total of 241 cases were divided into benign retroperitoneal tumor group and malignant retroperitoneal tumor group. Each group was divided into groups A, B, and C according to the long diameter of the tumor tissue. Group A>10.0 cm, 5.0 cm0.05). Significant differences in intraoperative bleeding and intraoperative blood transfusion were found between groups A and B (P<0.05). Main arteries of the abdominal retroperitoneal tumor are the lumbar, internal iliac, and adrenal arteries. The main artery of pelvic retroperitoneal tumor is the internal iliac artery. Conclusion:Preoperative interventional embolization can effec-tively reduce the risk of bleeding during malignant retroperitoneal tumor surgery and improve the perioperative safety of patients. No significant benefit of benign retroperitoneal tumors and no increased risk of bleeding during surgery were observed. Retroperitoneal tumor preoperative embolization should focus on investigating the lumbar, internal iliac, and adrenal arteries.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and safety of hypothermic perfusion via renal artery balloon catheter before laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Methods A total of 35 patients,who were arranged to receive laparoscopic partial nephrectomy during the period from March 2013 to December 2016 at the General Hospital of PLA,China,were enrolled in this study.The tumor was located in the left kidney in 22 patients and in the right kidney in 13 patients.The long diameter of the tumors was 2.3-7.0 cm,with a mean of (4.1±1.2) cm.Before laparoscopic partial nephrectomy,the implantation of renal artery balloon catheter was performed in all patients.The intraoperative renal cold-ischemia time,the time spent for operation and the amount of intraoperative blood loss were recorded.The creatinine clearance rate (Ccr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were determined before operation as well as at one,3 and 7 days after operation.The intraoperative and postoperative complications were analyzed.Results Successful implantation of renal artery balloon catheter was accomplished in all 35 patients,with the technical success rate being 100％.Slipping of balloon catheter before laparoscopic partial nephrectomy occurred in one patient;in 2 patients incomplete occlusion of renal artery was found during operation and artery forceps had to be used to occlude the renal artery.In the other 32 patients,laparoscopic partial nephrectomy under the condition of hypothermic perfusion via renal artery balloon catheter was successfully carried out.No severe complications occurred during and after the operation.The average cold-ischemia time of the diseased kidney was 45 (20-125) min,the mean time for interventional procedure was 28 (20-40) min,the average surgery time was 147(95-235) min,the average amount of intraoperative blood loss was 180(50-1000) ml.The Ccr values determined before and at one,3,7 days after nephrectomy were (96.5±15.1),(75.2±10.5),(54.3±13.8) and (91.8±14.1) ml/min respectively.The eGFR values determined before and at one,3,7 days after nephrectomy were (99.5±15.3),(70.3±12.5),(65.5±11.7) and (96.8±12.3) ml·min-1·m-2 respectively.Statistical analysis indicated that in both groups the preoperative and 7-day postoperative Ccr values and eGFR values were significantly different from their one-day and 3-day postoperative values (P＜0.01),but no statistically significant differences existed between preoperative values and 7-day postoperative ones (P＞0.05).Conclusion Hypothermic perfusion via renal artery balloon catheter before laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is clinically safe and feasible,it can prolong the safe time of renal ischemia and protect renal function.

Severe frostbite (grade Ⅲ to Ⅳ) is a common disease accompanied with high disability rate in cold regions, especially for military training and disaster events in cold regions. The treatment of severe frostbite mainly includes rapid rewarming in the early stage and amputation in the later stage; while the damage of vascular endothelial cells, microvascular thrombosis, and decreased tissue perfusion secondary to severe frostbite are important factors affecting prognosis. Transcatheter arterial thrombolysis is a new technique for the treatment of severe frostbite. It has the advantages of minimally invasive, high safety, and significantly reduced amputation rate. We reviewed the advances in the research of transcatheter arterial thrombolysis for the treatment of severe frostbite.

Objective To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of super-selective hepatic artery embolization (TAE) and bleomycin hydrochloride in treatment of liver hemangioma.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 132 patients treated for liver hemangioma from January 2011 to December 2014.The patients underwent super-selective TAE.There were 26 men and 106 women.The age ranged from 29.0 to 65.0 (46.0±8.0) years.An emulsion of iodized oil and bleomycin and polyvinyl alcohol particle (PVA) was used for the TAE.Routine follow-up visits on post-treatment Days 3 and 7 were carried out to detect complications and changes in liver function.The diameters of the lesions pre-TAE and at 6,12 and every 12 months thereafter were monitored.Results TAE was technically successful in all these patients.The range of follow-up was 3～6 years.The successful rates of treatment at 6 month,12 months,24 months,and 36 months,were 100％,100％,96.9％ and 90.6％,respectively.Conclusion TAE with an emulsion of iodized oil and bleomycin and PVA was a safe and efficacious treatment for liver hemangioma on long-term follow-up.

For the treatment of liver tumors,interventional therapy is becoming more and more important.The development of interventional therapy relies on the development and application of new materials,new equipment and new drugs,and the preclinical animal testing of these applications is an important part of assessing the safety and effectiveness of interventional procedures.The animal HCC model plays an important leading role in exploring the new approach of interventional therapy.However,the animal HCC models which are suitable for experimental researches are limited,at present,the animal HCC models are mainly confined to rats and rabbits.Due to the limitation of animal body shape,routine interventional instruments and equipment are not suitable to perform interventional procedures for some small animals.Nowadays,there is still a shortage of devices for interventional hepatic artery surgery in mice,and interventional instruments for rats are also limited.This paper aims to make a summary about the types of HCC model in rats and rabbits which are often used in the experimental researches,the modeling methods,the interventional procedures,the anesthesia and imaging examinations,etc.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a commonly-seen malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality all over the world.With the rapid development of molecular biology and scientific technology,in treating HCC the use of nano knife technology,which is developed on the principle of irreversible electroporation,has come into clinicians' consideration.The authors are hereby making a comprehensive review about nano knife,focusing on the principles of nano knife therapy for liver cancer,the advantages of nano knife,and the latest developments in clinical practice and researches,etc.

Objective To investigate weight, ghrelin changes following transcatheter left gastric artery embolization in rabbit model of obesity, and evaluate its safety. Methods Thirty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into three groups, ten New Zealand rabbits in each group, group A:left gastric artery embolization using gelatin sponge, group B:left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery embolization using gelatin sponge, group C (control group): left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery perfusion using normal saline. Ghrelin, weight and liver and kidney function were measured at preoperative and postoperative 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks. T test was used to compare the differences in the levels of preoperative and postoperative average ghrelin, weight, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine and urea in each group. The ANOVA of repeated measurement was used to compare the difference of preoperative and postoperative each time points between the three groups. Results The preoperative and postoperative ghrelin levels in group A were (4057±61)and (3708±141) pg/ml with statistically significant differences (t=4.5, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative ghrelin levels in group B were (4137 ± 89) and (3608 ± 239) pg/ml with statistically significant differences (t=6.8, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative ghrelin levels in the control group were (3986 ± 82)and (4044 ± 72) pg/ml with no statistically significant differences (t=0.7, P>0.05). The level of ghrelin in group B decreased significantly compared with group A and the difference was statistically significant (t=3.8, P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative ghrelin levels between the three groups (F=15.6, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative weight in group A were (6.12±0.38)and (5.66±0.39) kg with statistically significant differences (t=2.7, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative weight in group B were (5.99 ± 0.57)and (5.24 ± 0.61) kg with statistically significant differences (t=3.1, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative weight in the control group were (5.94 ± 0.45)and (6.24 ± 0.42) kg with no statistically significant differences (t=1.2, P>0.05). The weight loss of group B was significantly greater than that of group A and the difference was statistically significant (t=5.2, P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative weight between the three groups (F=5.1, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in ALT, AST, creatinine and urea levels at preoperative and postoperative each time points in each group (P>0.05). Conclusion Left gastric artery embolization can become a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for obesity and left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery embolization at the same time could achieve more weight loss.

Objective To evaluate the application efficacy of SpyGlass endoscopic direct visualization system in management of complex biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 369 adult patients with biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation who received endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for the first time were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative conditions, intraoperative manifestations, treatment outcomes and complications of patients treated with SpyGlass system were analyzed. Results Fifty-six patients were treated with SpyGlass system. The main preoperative symptoms included abdominal discomfort in 38 cases, fever in 8 cases, jaundice in 6 cases and skin itching in 4 cases. Ultrasound examination in 18 patients indicated common bile duct stenosis and significant intrahepatic bile duct dilatation. Preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) of 56 patients revealed that 36 cases were diagnosed with common bile duct stenosis complicated with stones, 16 cases of common bile duct stenosis alone and 4 cases of suspected tumors. All patients had definite indications for SpyGlass system treatment. Among 56 patients treated with SpyGlass system, 34 cases were diagnosed with anastomotic stricture complicated with stones, 12 cases of anastomotic stricture alone, 1 case of biliary stone and 4 cases of tumors. Among 48 cases who were successfully treated, the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin at postoperative 48 h were all significantly lower than preoperative levels (all P<0.05). No severe complications occurred in 56 patients treated with SpyGlass system. Conclusions Use of SpyGlass system may significantly increase success rate and guarantee surgical safety in the treatment of complex biliary complications after liver transplantation, which is worthy of promotion and application.