Modified technique for preparation of venous circulation resin casts in the cirrhotic liver

ABSTRACT This study describes two major adaptations for the preparation of resin casts in human cirrhotic liver, harvested at the time of transplantation. The first is the way of fixing the catheter in the ostia of the hepatic and portal veins through a cerclage, so as to prevent displacement of the catheter and / or leakage of the resin during its injection. The second is the extension of corrosion time in the NaOH solution, averaging 6.8 days, with daily replacement the solution until complete removal of parenchymal tissue. We applied the method in 14 cirrhotic livers, with good filling and coloring of the portal and hepatic vein territories, using different colors. This allows an anatomical study of these vessels, able to complement the knowledge of the histopathology in research work, and the planning of therapeutic procedures, such as the Trans-Jugular Intrahepatic Port-Systemic Shunt (TIPS).