Controversies of preoperative portal vein embolization.

Overview

Portal vein embolization (PVE) is a safe, percutaneous procedure that has been proven to lower the complication rates of curative intent large-volume hepatic resection by inducing hypertrophy of the future liver remnant. While the safety and efficacy of PVE has been well substantiated, there remains controversy with regards to the technical details, periprocedural management, and whether alternative methods of achieving future liver remnant hypertrophy are preferable to PVE. This paper will address those controversies and offer recommendations based on available data.