The Porcine Hepatic Arterial Supply, Its Variations and Their Influence on the Extracorporeal Perfusion of the Liver

Background Variations in the porcine hepatic vasculature may contribute to the outcome of experiments based on liver perfusion models. We studied the hepatic artery (HA), variations of its branches, and the correlation with the resultant perfusion. Materials and Methods Nineteen animals were used. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of surgical research 2011-06, Vol.168 (1), p.56-61
Main Authors: Gravante, Gianpiero, M.D, Ong, Seok Ling, M.D, Metcalfe, Matthew S., M.D, Lloyd, David M., M.D, Dennison, Ashley R., M.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy
Animals
Arteries - anatomy & histology
Biological and medical sciences
Emergency and intensive care: digestive diseases. Bioartificial liver
ex vivo
Extracorporeal Circulation
Female
General aspects
hepatic artery
Hepatic Artery - anatomy & histology
Intensive care medicine
Liver - blood supply
liver anatomy
liver models
liver vasculature
Medical sciences
Models, Animal
Perfusion - methods
Surgery
Swine
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Summary:Background Variations in the porcine hepatic vasculature may contribute to the outcome of experiments based on liver perfusion models. We studied the hepatic artery (HA), variations of its branches, and the correlation with the resultant perfusion. Materials and Methods Nineteen animals were used. After 6 h of perfusion, dissection of the HA and its branches was conducted up to the insertion in the liver parenchyma. Data about the macroscopic appearance of lobes and the pattern of branching were recorded. Results In all cases, the HA bifurcated into two constant branches, one for the LL/LM lobes (further divided in two vessels for each lobe) and one for the RM lobe. Five main patterns were identified involving vessels for the RL and the CL lobes. Two variations produced complete and uniform perfusion of the entire liver in all cases, while in the remaining cases, only part of them were completely perfused. Conclusions Some variants of the porcine HA and its branches are associated with the risk of incomplete perfusion if the perfusion cannula placement does not take the individual hepatic arterial anatomy into account. Understanding of the hepatic arteries branching patterns is essential when ex vivo perfusion models are being established.
ISSN:0022-4804
1095-8673
DOI:10.1016/j.jss.2009.09.050