Postoperative evaluation of the liver volume of living related donors by spiral computed tomography

To evaluate the use of spiral computed tomography (CT) in the assessment of liver volume in family donor after the left hepatectomy or segmentectomy. In 26 family liver donors in the postoperative period 46 control CT examinations were performed: 8 donors had 1 examination, 18 donors - 2 or more examinations after the surgery. The first control examination was performed in average in the 9th day after the operation, the second in average in the 8th week after the surgery and the third 6 and 8 months after the operation. The volume of the liver was calculated manually with the planimetric method. The results of liver volume calculations in the group of donors after left hepatectomy or segmentectomy were compared. The donors with at least two postoperative CT examinations were divided into two groups: group I - donors after segmentectomy 2+3 (13/18 cases); group II - donors after left hepatectomy (5/18 cases). The preoperative liver volume minus calculated volume of the segments resected was compared to the liver volume in the first and in the second control examination. In both groups a significant increase of the liver volume in the first control examination and a decrease of the liver volume in the second control examination was found. The resultant increase of the liver volume in comparison to the preoperative examination in the group II was 3.5 times higher than in the group I. Also other postoperative changes have been observed: retention fluid collections and ischemic changes in the segment 4 of the liver. A different dynamics of the increase of liver volume in the postoperative period in the group of donors after resection of segments 2+3 (group I) in comparison to the group of donors after left hepatectomy (group II) was found. In the group I the resultant increase of the liver volume was 4.3% versus baseline and in the group II it was 14.6%. (author)