While the standard approach for preparing the future liver remnant prior to liver resection is to use portal vein embolization, a new technique—variously either called double vein embolization, or liver venous deprivation—can enhance the rapidity of the desired response. Christoph Binkert (Winterthur, Switzerland), ET 2019 Programme Committee Chairperson speaks to Interventional News at the first Embolotherapy (ET) conference in Valencia, Spain.
The new technique involves embolizing the hepatic vein after embolizing the portal vein in the same session and the desired growth of the future liver remnant is typically achieved in two weeks, rather than the six weeks needed, after portal vein embolization alone.