Septic problems in hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) surgery

The liver has, in common with the lungs, a specialised population of resident phagocytic cells. These two large organs also share the property of each being exposed to a particular source of potentially infecting pathogens. The lungs are exposed to air borne micro-organisms, whereas the liver is the first line of defence for gut borne micro-organisms escaping into the portal circulation. If micro organisms taken up by the phagocytes are not thereby destroyed then their continuing accumulation will go on to produce local infections.