A successful treatment of postoperative hepatic failure with hyperbaric oxygenation therapy

Abstract

We successfully treated a 57-year-old male, cirrhotic patient who developed hepatic failure after hepatic resection for carcinoma of the liver, with hyperbaric oxygenation therapy. Hepatic encephalopathy was evident with clinical finding, serum chemistry and electroencephalogram on about 30 day after the operation. First, he had plasma exchange as a treatment of hepatic failure, which was unsuccessful. Hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, performed 20 times in the period of 47th-70th postoperative day, made complete improvement of encephalopathic status.
This result is suggestive that hyperbaric oxygenation therapy can be used for liver support in patients who have developed hepatic insufficiency.