Open AccessHepatic veins as a site of clot formation following liver resection
Author(s) -
Emmanuel Buc,
S. Dokmak,
Magaly Zappa,
Marie Hélène Denninger,
Dominique Valla,
Jacques Belghiti,
Olivier Farges
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v17.i3.403
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatectomy , thrombosis , pulmonary embolism , context (archaeology) , warfarin , surgery , vein , heparin , portal vein thrombosis , lung , resection , biology , paleontology , atrial fibrillation
Pulmonary embolism occurs more frequently after hepatectomy than previously thought but is infrequently associated with peripheral deep vein thrombosis. In this paper, we report 2 cases of postoperative hepatic vein thrombosis after liver resection. Both patients had undergone major hepatectomy of a non-cirrhotic liver largely exposing the middle hepatic vein. Clots were incidentally found in the middle hepatic vein 4 and 17 d after surgery despite routine systemic thrombo-prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin. Coagulation of the transition plan in a context of mutation of the prothrombin gene and inflammation induced biloma were the likely predisposing conditions. Clots disappeared following curative anticoagulation. We conclude that thrombosis of hepatic veins may occur after liver resection and is a potential source of pulmonary embolism.