Postoperative changes of serum bile acid levels in a case with massive hepatic resection.

Postoperative serum bile acids in a patient with hepatectomy were determined by gasliquid chromatography. The results showed that two high peaks of serum bile acid levels were found respectively on the 2nd and 7th postoperative day, although serum bile acid levels returned to normal after the 15th postoperative day. The high peaks were considered to be due to the escape of necrotic hepatic intracellular bile acids into systemic blood stream, poor uptake of bile acids by hepatocytes and reabsorption of bile acids leaked from the residual liver into the peritoneal cavity.