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Upper Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgery Research

The Upper Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgical Department covers hepatobiliary, pancreatic, oesophageal and gastric surgeries. The department supports and strives to enhance the quality of treatment given to patients through evidence based research, supported with a large prospective database capturing information on relevant procedures.

Key Research Themes

Complex liver resection techniques
Bioprosthetic vascular replacement
Treatment for HCC prior to liver transplantation
Portal haemodynamics for liver resection and transplantation
Surgical management of cholangiocarcinoma
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours
Gene therapy for metastatic pancreas cancer
Decision making in surgery
Robotic-assisted surgery for hepatobiliary and oesophagogastric cancer
Introduction of peritonectomy and HIPEC for patients with metastatic gastric cancer
Prehabilitation for patients to optimise the health and minimise risk prior to major surgery

Our Research Team

Associate Professor Charbel Sandroussi Head of Department
Dr David Yeo Consultant
Dr Michael Crawford Consultant
Dr David Joseph Consultant
Associate Professor Jerome Laurence Consultant
Dr David Martin Consultant
Dr Carlo Pulitano Consultant
Susan Murray Clinical Nurse Consultant
James Morkaya Research Officer

Our Publications

2023

Alaimo L, Lima HA, Moazzam Z, Endo Y, Yang J, Ruzzenente A, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Kitago M, Pawlik TM. Development and Validation of a Machine-Learning Model to Predict Early Recurrence of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Sep;30(9):5406-5415. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-13636-8. Epub 2023 May 20.
Alaimo L, Moazzam Z, Brown ZJ, Endo Y, Ruzzenente A, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Soubrane O, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Application of Hazard Function to Investigate Recurrence of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After Curative-Intent Liver Resection: A Novel Approach to Characterize Recurrence. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Mar;30(3):1340-1349. doi: 10.1245/s10434-022-12463-7. Epub 2022 Aug 27.
Alaimo L, Moazzam Z, Endo Y, Lima HA, Butey SP, Ruzzenente A, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Kitago M, Kim A, Ejaz A, Beane J, Cloyd J, Pawlik TM. The Application of Artificial Intelligence to Investigate Long-Term Outcomes and Assess Optimal Margin Width in Hepatectomy for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Jul;30(7):4292-4301. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-13349-y. Epub 2023 Mar 23.
Alaimo L, Moazzam Z, Endo Y, Lima HA, Ruzzenente A, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Long-Term Recurrence-Free and Overall Survival Differ Based on Common, Proliferative, and Inflammatory Subtypes After Resection of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Mar;30(3):1392-1403. doi: 10.1245/s10434-022-12795-4. Epub 2022 Nov 16.
Alaimo L, Moazzam Z, Lima HA, Endo Y, Ruzzenente A, Guglielmi A, Ratti F, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Popescu I, Poultsides GA, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Kitago M, Aucejo F, Sasaki K, Fields RC, Hugh T, Lam V, Pawlik TM. An attempt to establish and apply global benchmarks for liver resection of malignant hepatic tumors. Surgery. 2023 Dec;174(6):1384-1392. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2023.08.024. Epub 2023 Sep 22.
Chitty JL, Yam M, Perryman L, Parker AL, Skhinas JN, Setargew YFI, Mok ETY, Tran E, Grant RD, Latham SL, Pereira BA, Ritchie SC, Murphy KJ, Trpceski M, Findlay AD, Melenec P, Filipe EC, Nadalini A, Velayuthar S, Major G, Wyllie K, Papanicolaou M, Ratnaseelan S, Phillips PA, Sharbeen G, Youkhana J, Russo A, Blackwell A, Hastings JF, Lucas MC, Chambers CR, Reed DA, Stoehr J, Vennin C, Pidsley R, Zaratzian A, Da Silva AM, Tayao M, Charlton B, Herrmann D, Nobis M, Clark SJ, Biankin AV, Johns AL, Croucher DR, Nagrial A, Gill AJ, Grimmond SM; Australian Pancreatic Cancer Genome Initiative (APGI); Australian Pancreatic Cancer Matrix Atlas (APMA); Pajic M, Timpson P, Jarolimek W, Cox TR. A first-in-class pan-lysyl oxidase inhibitor impairs stromal remodeling and enhances gemcitabine response and survival in pancreatic cancer. Nat Cancer. 2023 Sep;4(9):1326-1344. doi: 10.1038/s43018-023-00614-y. Epub 2023 Aug 28.
Drahman A, Ngee-Soon SL, Crawford M. Prophylactic alpha-blockade for prevention of post-operative urinary retention after inguinal hernia repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hernia. 2023 Dec;27(6):1351-1361. doi: 10.1007/s10029-023-02764-5. Epub 2023 Mar 23.
Endo Y, Moazzam Z, Alaimo L, Lima HA, Munir MM, Shaikh CF, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Kitago M, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Predictive risk-score model to select patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma for adjuvant chemotherapy. HPB (Oxford). 2023 Feb;25(2):229-238. doi: 10.1016/j.hpb.2022.10.011. Epub 2022 Nov 3.
Endo Y, Moazzam Z, Lima HA, Alaimo L, Munir MM, Shaikh CF, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Kitago M, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. The impact of tumor location on the value of lymphadenectomy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. HPB (Oxford). 2023 Jun;25(6):650-658. doi: 10.1016/j.hpb.2023.02.013. Epub 2023 Feb 22.
Endo Y, Moazzam Z, Woldesenbet S, Araujo Lima H, Alaimo L, Munir MM, Shaikh CF, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Kitago M, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Predictors and Prognostic Significance of Postoperative Complications for Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. World J Surg. 2023 Jul;47(7):1792-1800. doi: 10.1007/s00268-023-06974-x. Epub 2023 Apr 3.
Endo Y, Sasaki K, Moazzam Z, Lima HA, Alaimo L, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Kitago M, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Higher Tumor Burden Status Dictates the Impact of Surgical Margin Status on Overall Survival in Patients Undergoing Resection of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Apr;30(4):2023-2032. doi: 10.1245/s10434-022-12803-7. Epub 2022 Nov 17.
Ly M, Lau NS, McKenzie C, Kench JG, McCaughan G, Crawford M, Pulitano C. Does an Additional Bile Duct Flush With Low-viscosity Preservation Solution Reduce Bile Duct Injury? A Single-blinded Randomized Clinical Trial. Transplant Direct. 2023 Feb 8;9(3):e1443. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001443.
Moazzam Z, Alaimo L, Endo Y, Lima HA, Ruzzenente A, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Poultsides GA, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Cloyd J, Ejaz A, Pawlik TM. Combined Tumor Burden Score and Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Grading System to Predict Outcomes Among Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. J Am Coll Surg. 2023 Apr 1;236(4):804-813. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000557. Epub 2023 Jan 12.
Munir MM, Endo Y, Lima HA, Alaimo L, Moazzam Z, Shaikh C, Poultsides GA, Guglielmi A, Aldrighetti L, Weiss M, Bauer TW, Alexandrescu S, Kitago M, Maithel SK, Marques HP, Martel G, Pulitano C, Shen F, Cauchy F, Koerkamp BG, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Albumin-Bilirubin Grade and Tumor Burden Score Predict Outcomes Among Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After Hepatic Resection: a Multi-Institutional Analysis. J Gastrointest Surg. 2023 Mar;27(3):544-554. doi: 10.1007/s11605-023-05578-z. Epub 2023 Jan 18.
Satchithanandha V, Lau NS, Galevska A, Sandroussi C. Bouveret syndrome: two approaches one stone. J Surg Case Rep. 2023 Oct 17;2023(10):rjad570. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjad570.
Toms C, Sandroussi C, Yeo D, Morkaya J, Pulitano C, Steffens D. Patient-Reported Outcomes and Survival Following Pancreatic Cancer Resection—Results from a Cross-Section Study. Gastrointestinal Disorders. 2023; 5(4):508-516. https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord5040042.
Zhang XF, Xue F, Weiss M, Popescu I, Marques HP, Aldrighetti L, Maithel SK, Pulitano C, Bauer TW, Shen F, Poultsides GA, Cauchy F, Martel G, Koerkamp BG, Itaru E, Lv Y, Pawlik TM. Lymph Node Examination and Patterns of Nodal Metastasis Among Patients with Left- Versus Right-Sided Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After Major Curative-Intent Resection. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Mar;30(3):1424-1433. doi: 10.1245/s10434-022-12797-2. Epub 2022 Nov 18.