PurposeThis is a review of literature on the indications, technique, and outcome of portal vein embolization (PVE).MethodsA systematic literature search on outcome of PVE from 1990 to 2011 was performed in Medline, Cochrane, and Embase databases.ResultsForty-four articles were selected, including 1,791 patients with a mean age of 61 ± 4.1 years. Overall technical success rate was 99.3 %. The mean hypertrophy rate of the FRL after PVE was 37.9 ± 0.1 %. In 70 patients (3.9 %), surgery was not performed because of failure of PVE (clinical success rate 96.1 %). In 51 patients (2.8 %), the hypertrophy response was insufficient to perform liver resection. In the other 17 cases, 12 did not technically succeed (0.7 %) and 7 caused a complication leading to unresectability (0.4 %). In 6.1 %, resection was cancelled because of local tumor progression after PVE. Major complications were seen in 2.5 %, and the mortality rate was 0.1 %. A head-to-head comparison shows a negative effect of liver cirrhosis on hypertrophy response. The use of n-butyl cyanoacrylate seems to have a greater effect on hypertrophy, but the difference with other embolization materials did not reach statistical significance. No difference in regeneration is seen in patients with cholestasis or chemotherapy.ConclusionsPreoperative PVE has a high technical and clinical success rate. Liver cirrhosis has a negative effect on regeneration, but cholestasis and chemotherapy do not seem to have an influence on the hypertrophy response. The use of n-butyl cyanoacrylate may result in a greater hypertrophy response compared with other embolization materials used.

Percutaneous biliary drainage and stenting (PTBD) for palliation of malignant obstructive jaundice has evolved to a safe and effective technique. PTBD is equally effective for treatment of distal and proximal bile obstruction. Metal self-expandable stents have proved superior to plastic stents and should therefore be used. Technical success is >90% en clinical success is >75% in all major series. There are a considerable number of complications, but most can be treated conservatively and procedure-related mortality is <2% in most series. Thirty-day mortality after PTBD is >10% in many series, but this is largely due to the underlying disease. About 10-30% of patients will have recurrent jaundice at some point in their disease after PTBD and require re-intervention.

Introduction Controversy exists over the preferred technique of preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) requiring major liver resection. The current study compared outcomes of endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in patients with resectable HCCA. Methods One hundred fifteen consecutive patients were explored for HCCA between 2001 and July 2008 and assigned by initial PBD procedure to either EBD or PTBD. Results Of these patients, 101 (88%) underwent PBD; 90 patients underwent EBD as primary procedure, and 11 PTBD. The technical success rate of initial drainage was 81% in the EBD versus 100% in the PTBD group (P=0.20). Stent dislocation was similar in the EBD and PTBD groups (23% vs. 20%, P=0.70). Infectious complications were significantly more common in the endoscopic group (48% vs. 9%, P<0.05). Patients in the EBD group underwent more drainage procedures (2.8 vs. 1.4, P<0.01) and had a significantly longer drainage period until laparotomy (mean 15 weeks vs. 11 weeks in the PTBD group; P<0.05). In 30 patients, EBD was converted to PTBD due to failure of the endoscopic approach. Conclusions Preoperative percutaneous drainage could outperform endoscopic stent placement in patients with resectable HCCA, showing fewer infectious complications, using less procedures.