CHANGES IN LIVER BLOOD-FLOW AFTER HEPATECTOMY IN CONSCIOUS DOGS

Hepatic circulation after hepatectomy was investigated in conscious do gs under fasting and feeding conditions. After a 40% hepatectomy, both the hepatic arterial and portal blood how were measured simultaneousl y using ultrasonic transit time flowmeters. During fasting, the total hepatic blood flow (i.e., the sum of arterial and portal blood flow) c hanged in a biphasic pattern after hepatectomy. The first peak (517.9 +/- 42.7 ml/min; 130.1% of preoperative Bow) was seen on the 1st posto perative day (POD) and the second peak (444.8 +/- 25.6 ml/min; 112.7% of preoperative dow) occurred on the 7th POD, The portal how demonstra ted the same biphasic changes as the total hepatic how, although the h epatic arterial dow showed only the first peak. A heart rate analysis suggested that the first peak was probably due to hyperdynamic circula tory conditions, as has been previously reported. In addition, the exi stence of the second peak was established by the present study. The po stprandial hepatic blood dow decreased during the first 2 weeks postop eratively, but exceeded the presurgical levels on PODs 21 and 28.