A presentation by Anna Januszkiewicz at the 2017 meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Anaestesiology and Intensive Care Medicine.
All available content from SSAI2017: https://scanfoam.org/ssai2017/
Delivered in collaboration between scanFOAM, SSAI & SFAI.
5. Liver cirrhosis
• Chronic inflammation and cytokines release
• Activation of stellate cells and transformation to myofibroblasts
• Generation of collagen ultimately leading to liver fibrosis, a precursor of cirrhosis
• Progression of parenchymal scarring with nodular structure
The final common pathological result of liver damage arising from
many types of chronic liver diseases.
Zhou W-C et al, 2014
Henderson NC, Iredale JP, 2007
6. • Liver diseases and pathology of cirrhosis
• Extrahepatic manifestations of liver disease
• Preoperative evaluation and risk assessment
• Drugs
• Intraoperative considerations
• Postoperative care
10. Cardiovascular effects
Arterial hypotension
Increased HR and SV
Increased CO
Hyperdynamic circulation
Decreased SVR
Neurohumoral response
Sympathetic nervous system
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone
ADH
Natrium and water
retention
Renal
vasoconstriction
11. Cardiovascular effects
Hyperdynamic circulation
• high CO
• low SVR
• hypotension
• tachycardia
Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy
• systolic dysfunction ca 10%
o decreased contractility
o diminished stress response
• diastolic dysfunction ca 60%
o assessed by echo
o present at rest
• QT-interval prolongation
• chronotropic incompetence
• increased myocardial mass
• increased BNP and pro-BNP
• increased troponin I
Bolognesi et al, WJG, 2014
Ruiz-de- Árbol, Serradilla, WJG, 2015
Liu et al, Liver Transpl, 2017
16. Coagulation
• Bleeding risk
- decreased synthesis of coagulation factors (II, VII, IX, X)
- decreased synthesis of fibrinogen
- vit. K deficiency
- thrombocytopenia/thrombocytopathy
- fibrinolysis
• Hypercoagulation
- decreased synthesis of Protein C, Protein S, antithrombin
- decreased synthesis of plasminogen
- increased activity of VWF
• Tromboelastography (TEG)/Tromboelastometry (ROTEM)
17. Renal effects - AKI
Causes of AKI in cirrhotic patients:
• hypovolemia
• renal/parenchymal disorders (tubular necrosis, interstitial nephritis, glomerular
disease
• hepatorenal syndrome (HRS)
70% of cirrhotic patients have renal dysfunction without structural changes.
HRS
• functional renal defect
• caused by renal hypoperfusion due to decreased SVR
• treatment - vasopressin analogues (terlipressin, glypressin)
Karvellas et al, Crit Care Clin, 2015
Warner et al, J Investig Med, 2011
18. Metabolic/electrolyte/acid-base effects
• hypoglycemia due to depletion of glycogen stores
• hypoalbuminemia
• malnutrition
• hyponatremia
• hypo-/hyperkalemia
• respiratory alkalosis
• metabolic acidosis (decompensated liver cirrhos, critical illness)
Musso CG et al, Int Urol Nephrol, 2017
Bernhard S et al, J Hepatol, 2017
19. CNS
Shawcross et al, Eur J Gastroeneterol Hepatol, 2016
Wijdicks EFM, NEJM, 2016
• decreased clearance of neurotoxins (ammonia)
• varying clinical symptoms
• restrictive use of sedatives!
20. • Liver diseases and pathology of cirrhosis
• Extrahepatic manifestations of liver disease
• Preoperative evaluation and risk assessment
• Drugs
• Intraoperative considerations
• Postoperative care
21. Preoperative evaluation
• Severity of liver dysfunction
• Co-existing morbidity
• Type of surgery
• Monitoring
• Postoperative facilities
Lopez-Delgado et al, World J Gastroeneterol, 2016
22. Preoperative evaluation
• History (dyspnoea, effort tolerance, bleeding, presence of esophageal varices,
encephalopathy)
• Physical examination (orientation, saturation, pleural effusion, pulse, blood
pressure, ascites, bruising, malnutrition)
• Investigations
o blood count (anemia, infection)
o coagulation (INR, platelets, fibrinogen) and ROTEM/TEG
o renal function (creatinine, urea, GFR)
o liver function (bilirubin, enzymes, albumin)
o blood gas, electrolytes, serum glucose
o ECG/exercise ECG
o echocardiography/stress echo
o chest X-ray
Vaja et al, BJA, 2010
23. Risk assessment
Scoring systems
• CTP score – predict mortality in patients with liver disease undergoing surgery
• MELD score – used to predict mortality for patients on waiting list for Ltx
MELD – formula based on serum creatinin, bilirubin and INR
24. Risk assessment
Neeff et al, Surgery, 2014
Survival after general surgery in 180 patients with liver cirrhosis by preoperative CTP or MELD classification
25. Risk assessment
Predictors of poor outcome:
• liver function
• co-morbidities
• blood transfusions
• emergency surgery/major
• age
Preoperative optimization:
• minimizing preexisting encephalopathy
• correction of coagulopathy
• treatment of infections
• correction of electrolyte imbalance
• thoracentesis
Elective surgery should be postponed:
• acute viral/alcoholic hepatitis
• acute liver failure
• patients with CTP C or MELD>15
Neeff et al, Surgery, 2014
Hoetzel et al, Curr Opin Anesthesiol, 2012
Friedman LS, Trans Am Clin Climatol Ass, 2010
26. • Liver diseases and pathology of cirrhosis
• Extrahepatic manifestations of liver disease
• Preoperative evaluation and risk assessment
• Drugs
• Intraoperative considerations
• Postoperative care
27. Drugs
Altered drug pharmacokinetics
• increased volume of distribution
• increased fraction of active drugs due to decreased synthesis of albumin
• reduced synthesis of some enzymes (pseudocholinesterase)
• decreased clearance
Sedatives
• propofol, – safe
• thiopental, dexmetomidine – dose reduction
• benzodiazepines – should be avoided, alt. dose reduction by 50%
• ketamine - safe
Opioids
• fentanyl – consider dose reduction in repeated doses
• remifentanil – safe
• morphine, alphentanil – prolonged half-lifes
Mcclain RL et al, Curr Clin Pharmacol, 2015
28. Drugs
Neuromuscular blocking agents
• atracurium, cis-atracurium – safe
• succinylcholine – dose reduction (due to pseudocholinesterase defieciency)
• vecuronium/rocuronium – dose reduction?, not recommended due to prolonged
duration of action, but sugammadex reverse effectively
Volatile anesthetics
• sevoflurane, isoflurane, desflurane – safe
• halothane – not recommended
Mcclain RL et al, Curr Clin Pharmacol, 2015
Fujita et al, Acta Anaesthesiol Taiwan, 2014
29. • Liver diseases and pathology of cirrhosis
• Extrahepatic manifestations of liver disease
• Preoperative evaluation and risk assessment
• Drugs
• Intraoperative considerations
• Postoperative care
30. Intraoperative considerations
Monitoring – matching the severity of liver disease and extense of
surgery
• ECG, pulse oximetry, end-tidal CO2, peripheral nerve stimulator, temperature,
urine output, bispectral index
• invasive BP
• large-bore i.v. access
• CVC, consider PA-catheter
• TEE
• ROTEM/TEG
Risk for complications due to severe liver disease
• aspiration (ascites, delayed gastric emptying)
• hypoxemia (ascites, pleural effusion, HPS)
• hypotension (hypovolemia)
• bleeding (oesophageal varices, coagulopathy)
• oliguria (HRS)
• hypoglycemia Hoetzel et al, Curr Opin Anesthesiol, 2012
Starczewska et al, Curr Opin Anesthesiol, 2017
31. Intraoperative considerations
Goal – maintenance of adequate hepatic blood flow and oxygen
delivery to prevent decompensation
• optimal fluid therapy (guided by TEE or PA-catheter)
• vasopressors
• bleeding – assessment of clinical situation, lab and ROTEM/TEG
• avoid hypothermia
Hoetzel et al, Curr Opin Anesthesiol, 2012
Starczewska et al, Curr Opin Anesthesiol, 2017
32. • Liver diseases and pathology of cirrhosis
• Extrahepatic manifestations of liver disease
• Preoperative evaluation and risk assessment
• Drugs
• Intraoperative considerations
• Postoperative care
33. Postoperative care
Postoperative pain management
• TAP blocks, local infiltrations, PainBuster
• epidural analgesia – caution
• NSAIDs – contraindicated (risk of GI bleeding, platelet dysfunction, nephrotoxicity)
• paracetamol – dose reduction
• opioids – dose reduction
Monitoring
• liver function (clinically and biochemically) for signs of decompensation
• CNS
• renal
• coagulation
• infections
• electrolytes, serum glucose, ABG
Lopez-Delgado et al, WJG, 2016
Vaja et al, BJA, 2010
Hayward K et al, Brit J Clin Pharmaco, 2016
34. Anaesthetic management in liver
transplanted patients
• Well functioning graft – treat patients as ones with normal liver function
• Graft dysfunction – treat patients as ones with liver disease
Do not forget immunosuppression!
anna.januszkiewicz@sll.se