Usefulness of preoperative partial splenic embolization in hepatocellular carcinoma and hypersplenic thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with both hepatocellular carcinoma and hypersplenic thrombocytopenia are occasionally seen and this condition can severely complicate liver resection. This study evaluated the usefulness of preoperative partial splenic embolization (PSE) as an alternative to splenectomy (SP). METHODOLOGY: Twenty-eight patients with hypersplenic thrombocytopenia underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Five patients underwent preoperative PSE and 23 patients underwent concomitant splenectomy. The blood cell counts, laboratory chemistry data, and operative morbidity, prognosis were all examined. RESULTS: There were no severe PSE-related complications such as splenic abscess seen after PSE. The platelet counts in the PSE group significantly increased in comparison to those in the SP group before the operation. The frequency of blood transfusion and postoperative complications in the PSE group was significantly less than that in the SP group. The duration of surgery, blood loss, and performance of PSE were significant factors to predict postoperative complications. The overall survival after liver resection was not significantly different between patients in the PSE and SP group. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative PSE could be safely performed without severe adverse effects prior to liver resection and it was thus considered to be useful for increasing the number of platelets and reducing postoperative complications.