Volume 62 - 1999 - Fasc.4 - Original articles
One-month mortality rate after liver transplantation for parenchymal cirrhosis analysis of risk factors in a ten year period
Accurate prediction of short-term survival rate after liver transplantation is one way of selecting recipients and should improve organ allocation. We observed, during the first ten years of our program a striking decline in postoperative mortality with time, a well known observation in Europe as well as in the United States. In 65 adults with parenchymal cirrhosis having received a liver transplant between 1984 and 1994, we examined the possible influence of various preoperative risk factors on one-month mortality rate which was 13.8% in this series. Univariate analysis led to the identification of five significant risk factors : date of transplantation, low serum sodium, previous history of jaundice, ascites and encephalopathy. In the final muftivariate analysis however, the date of transplantation emerged as the sole predictive factor of early mortality rate. Therefore, factors such as pretransplantation state of the patient and poor hepatic reserve are counterbalanced by the improvement of surgical skill and other technical aspects, as well as by better perioperative management which have all contributed to the improved results of liver transplantation with time.
Histopathological assessment of the prophylactic effect of gingko-biloba extract on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury
In this experimental study, the prophylactic effects of Gingko- Biloba Extract (GBE) were examined after experimental ischetwa on intestinal wall damage. 50 Wistar-Albino rats (2.5 month old) were gathered and separated into 5 groups (n :10). Group 1 was subjected to a laparotomy (sham-operated group) whereas all other experimental groups were subjected to an occlusion of their superior mesenteric arteries for 30 minutes and a period of 20 minutes reperfusion following occlusion. Group 2 was not given any prophylactic agent during the experiment (untreated control group). GBE was administered in a dosage of 50 mg/kg (i.v.) as a prophylactic agent to Group 3 one hour prior to laparotomy whereas Group 4 was given GBE at 50 mg/kg (i.v.) just before ischetwa. Group 5 was given GBE in the same dosage just before reperfusion. Immediately after reperfusion, a biopsy was taken from the ileum (10 cm proximity to ileocaecal valve) for histopathological assessment. A significant prophylactic effect of GBE was observed in Group 5 in which GBE was adtm'nistered just before reperfusion.
