The effects of a prior portosystemic shunt (PSS) on the hepatic hemodynamics and sinusoids shortly after an 84% hepatectomy (Hx) were investigated in dogs. Fifteen mongrel dogs were divided into three groups, a 70% Hx group (n = 5), an 84% Hx group (n = 5) and an 84% Hx+PSS group (n = 5). In the last group, a shunt was inserted between the splenic and femoral veins prior to the hepatectomy. The systemic and hepatic hemodynamics were measured, before and 180 min after the hepatectomy, and the remaining liver tissue was then examined immunohistochemically by light microscopy using the thrombomodulin (TM) staining method. The postoperative portal vein pressure and the vascular resistance were significantly lower in the PSS group than in the 84% non-PSS group. The total postoperative hepatic blood flow was higher in the 84% non-PSS group than in the other two groups. Immunohistochemical observation after TM staining indicated that the sinusoidal endothelial cells in the 84% non-PSS group were markedly damaged 3 h after surgery. We conclude that a prior PSS improves the hepatic hemodynamics and is beneficial to the sinusoids within the first few hours of an 84% hepatectomy in dogs.

Risk factors associated with complications following hepatic resection were investigated retrospectively in 121 patients between January 1987 and April 1992. Fifty-seven patients recovered uneventfully, but 64 suffered post-operative complications and 15 died within 3 months. All those who died had suffered from hyperbilirubinaemia or bleeding and/or coagulopathy, which were considered critical complications after hepatic resection. Risk factors following hepatic resection were investigated statistically. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that serum levels of cholinesterase, the histology of the remaining liver and the volume of intraoperative blood loss were significantly associated with major complications (odds ratio 0.02, 5.14 and 4.97 respectively). Coexisting liver cirrhosis, deterioration of liver protein synthesis and massive intraoperative blood loss are important risk factors following hepatic resection.

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This paper describes numerical analysis of a supersonic O 2 -jet impingement on carbon-contained liquid iron under vacuum circumstances. The gas phase is assumed to be composed of O 2 , CO, CO 2 , O and C. Since gas temperature is elevated over 1 000 K in the vicinity of the surface of liquid iron, high-temperature gas effects, namely vibrational energy excitation and dissociation, are included in the analysis. Therefore, the flow field is expressed by Navier-Stokes equations consisting of mass conservation, momentum, overall energy, vibrational energy and species mass conservation equations. Furthermore, surface reactions for O 2 -C and O-C encounters are included in surface boundary conditions. Cavity geometry is determined from the balance of pressure, shear stress, surface tension and liquid buoyancy. Based on the numerical results, sensitivity of mass fraction for each species to the probability of surface reaction is discussed. In addition, the effect of the surface reactions on the cavity geometry is clarified.KEY WORDS: jet impingement; supersonic jet; surface reaction; thermochemical nonequilibrium.

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