Generally, the two most important hepatic functions to consider after hepatic resection are:

A. Hepatic synthetic function.

B. Glucose metabolism.

DISCUSSION: While other functions undoubtedly may be important postoperatively, the most common abnormalities occurring after a major hepatic resection are related to loss of protein synthesis and consequences of glucose metabolism. Therefore, it is usually advisable to administer supplemental amounts of protein and sugar postoperatively.