Prospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Jul 27, 2022; 14(7): 1504-1511
Published online Jul 27, 2022. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i7.1504
Volumetric assessment of hepatic grafts using a light detection and ranging system for 3D scanning: Preliminary data
Georgios Katsanos, Konstantina-Eleni Karakasi, Ion-Anastasios Karolos, Athanasios Kofinas, Nikolaos Antoniadis, Vassilios Tsioukas, Georgios Tsoulfas
Georgios Katsanos, Konstantina-Eleni Karakasi, Athanasios Kofinas, Nikolaos Antoniadis, Georgios Tsoulfas, Department of Transplantation, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece
Ion-Anastasios Karolos, Vassilios Tsioukas, Department of Rural and Surveying Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece
Author contributions: Katsanos G and Karakasi KE contributed equally to this work; Katsanos G, Karakasi KE, and Tsoulfas G designed the research study; Katsanos G, Karakasi KE, Karolos IA, and Kofinas A performed the research; Antoniadis N and Karakasi KE conducted the data analysis and statistical analysis; Katsanos G, Tsoulfas G, and Tsioukas V analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Katsanos G, Kofinas A, and Tsoulfas G revised the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, No. T1EDK-03599.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Institutional Review Board (Approval No. 3.479).
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors of this manuscript having no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Georgios Tsoulfas, FACS, FICS, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Transplantation, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, No. 49 Konstantinoupoleos Street, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece. tsoulfasg@gmail.com
Received: January 30, 2022
Peer-review started: January 30, 2022
First decision: March 7, 2022
Revised: April 10, 2022
Accepted: June 27, 2022
Article in press: June 27, 2022
Published online: July 27, 2022
Processing time: 177 Days and 19.1 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Split liver transplantation is a viable option of increasing the number of available grafts, as one liver graft can yield two partial grafts for two donors. In this procedure, partial liver volume estimation, particularly left lateral segment volume estimation, is critical to the outcome of the procedure.

Research motivation

To assess the application of light detection and ranging technology in the ex vivo estimation of whole liver grafts.

Research objectives

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and accuracy of 3D light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanning photography of whole liver grafts and the prediction of liver volume and mass.

Research methods

Seven liver grafts procured for orthotopic liver transplantation from brain deceased donors were prospectively measured in this single blind, ongoing study. All measurements were conducted in fully sterile conditions with no contact with the grafts. LIDAR calculated volume was converted into mass using a fixed value of liver density defined by convention at 1.07 gr/mL. Calculated liver mass was compared to the actual weighted liver mass of each graft.

Research results

From June 2021 until January 2022, seven liver grafts from deceased donors were included in the study. Graft weight was measured in grams (g). LIDAR imaging analysis provided the calculated graft volumes expressed in millilitres (mL). Considering the mean human liver density at 1.07 g/mL, calculated LIDAR volumes were converted to mass in grams by multiplying the volumes by 1.07. Statistical analysis of the data yielded a Pearson correlation coefficient index of 0.9968, indicating a strong correlation between the values, and a Student’s t-test P value of 0.26. Mean accuracy of the measurements was calculated at 97.88%.

Research conclusions

Our preliminary data indicate that LIDAR scanning of liver grafts is a safe, cost-effective, and feasible method of ex vivo determination of whole liver volume and mass. More data are needed to determine the precision and accuracy of this method.

Research perspectives

LIDAR assisted liver volumetry could add a useful tool for ex vivo partial liver volume calculation mainly in cases of split liver transplantation for donors that for various reasons did not have a pre-procurement computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. Compared to traditional methods for liver volumetry such as CT and MRI, LIDAR volumetric assessment is more cost-effective, less time-consuming, and less operator-dependent.