Necessity and feasibility of using dexamethasone for perioperative protection of liver in Hepatectomy

Objective To investigate the necessity and feasibility of using dexamethasone for perioperative protection of liver function in hepatectomy.Methods The clinical data of 256 patients receiving hepatectomy in our hospital between May 2005 and January 2008 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the treatment group (experimental group,n=131) and control group (n=125).Dexamethasone was injected intravenously in the experimental group from the time before anaesthesia to the third day after operation.The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartic acid aminotransferase(AST),total bilirubin (TB) and albumin(ALB) were detected at different time before and after using Dexamethasone.Results In the experimental group,the levels of AST,ALT and TB on 1st,3rd and 7th day after operation were decreased as compared with the control group.The levels of AST and ALT on 3rd and 7th clay after operation were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control (P＜0.05).The level of TB on 3rd day after operation was markedly lower in the experimental group than in the control (P＜0.05).The morbidity of ascites and hydrothorax after operation was slightly lower in the experimental group than in the control than that of the control group (P＞0.05).Conclusion Dexamethasone can alleviate the hepatic dysfunction after hepatectomy,and has protective advantage for liver function in the perioperative period of hepatectomy. Key words: Hepatectomy; Dexamethasone; Liver function; Perioperative period