[The usefulness of monitoring hepatic venous saturation during open heart surgery for a patient with severe liver dysfunction].

We report the usefulness of monitoring hepatic venous saturation (ShVO2) during open heart surgery for a patient with severe liver dysfunction. The patient was a 55-year-old man who had been suffering from acute aortic regurgitation due to bacterial endocarditis. Indocyanine green retention test at 15 min was 55%. Serum GOT, GPT and T bilirubin were 56 U.l-1, 35 U.l-1 and 1.5 mg.dl-1 respectively. Aortic valve replacement was scheduled in spite of severe liver dysfunction because amelioration of congestive heart failure after the operation was expected to improve liver dysfunction to the previous chronic state. Anesthesia was induced and maintained by intermittent administration of diazepam and low dose of fentanyl with 100% oxygen. After induction, we inserted a balloon tipped pulmonary catheter with ultra-red beam into hepatic vein by fluoroscopy guidance and monitored ShVO2 as an index of hepatic oxygen supply/demand balance. During re-insertion of a thoracic catheter, we could detect the continued decrease in hepatic vein saturation even after the improvement of systemic circulatory state. Postoperatively, liver function became slightly worse for a short period and improved thereafter. These results suggest that ShVO2 monitoring is clinically useful in detecting hepatic oxygen supply/demand imbalance which circulatory monitoring could not uncover during open heart surgery.