For How Long Can the Liver Tolerate Ischaemia?

Abstract

In this study the ability of the normal liver to tolerate normothermic ischaemia was assessed. The survival rate in pigs after 3, 6 and 12 h of normothermic hepatic ischaemia was 71, 46 and 0%, respectively. A patient who survived after inadvertently being subjected to 90 min of normothermic hepatic ischaemia is also presented. These findings suggest that the ‘safe period’ for liver blood flow occlusion could be extended beyond 1 h.