Aspects of the preoperative assessment in patients undergoing liver surgery

Liver surgery is often the last resort for patients with liver tumours. Some patients develop post-operative liver failure. Patients at a high risk of liver failure can be selected by pre-operatively predicting future liver volume and residual liver function. This dissertation demonstrates that the free computer programs ImageJ and Osirix® are both capable of predicting liver volume. A good residual liver function test does not yet exist. Ophthalmate is a new potential biomarker for liver function. Its values were first tested in a model during liver surgery. Although this model is not yet suitable as a functional liver test, the initial results are promising.