Application of Perioperative Remote Ischemic Conditioning in Patients Undergoing Hepatectomy

Remote Ischemic Conditioning (RIC) can be applied as repeated short-lasting ischemia in a distant tissue that results in protection against subsequent long-lasting ischemic injury in the target organ. This protection can be applied prior to or during a prolonged ischemic event as remote ischemic pre-conditioning (RIPreC) and per-conditioning (RIPerC), respectively, or immediate after reperfusion as remote ischemic post-conditioning (RIPostC). RIC is a non-pharmacologic and non-invasive treatment without noticeable discomfort, commonly achieved by inflation of a blood pressure cuff to induce 5-minute cycles of limb ischemia alternating with 5 minutes of reperfusion. However, whether perioperative remote ischemic conditioning (PRIC) can improve postoperative recovery in patients undergoing hepatectomy has never been investigated in a randomized controlled trial.