January 23, 2007 11:4 WSPC/SPI-B415: Haemostasis in Surgery ch05

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CHAPTER

Haemostasis in Liver Surgery

Madhava Pai, Ruben Canelo and Nagy Habib

HISTORY
The complex anatomy and multiple functions of the liver have
afforded it proper respect from surgeons over the years. During 2000
to 3000 BC, the liver was used through animal sacrifices, in the art
of divination and was considered the seat of the soul.1,2 The Greeks
continued this tradition and in the legend of Prometheus, illustrated
the regenerative properties of the liver.3
Berta performed the first liver resection in 1716, by resecting a
part of the liver that was protruding following trauma.4 von Bruns,
who operated on an injured soldier in the Franco-Prussian war,
repeated the procedure only in 1870.5 Langenbuch performed a left
hepatectomy for a mess lesion and, therefore, carried out the first
successful elective liver surgery in 1888.
In 1902, Pringle described the concept of vascular inflow occlu-
sion by clamping the portal triad and controlling bleeding.6 In 1903,
for the first time, Anschutz described the finger fracture technique.7
Wendel performed the first anatomical lobectomy for a right-sided

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