June 9, 2025
In the first episode of the LIVERATION Podcast, we speak with Dr. Dimitri Dorcaratto, a surgeon at the Hospital Clínico de Valencia and one of the medical professionals actively involved in the European clinical trial LIVERATION.
Throughout the interview, Dr. Dorcaratto shares his hands-on experience with the trial, the value of collaboration between European centres, and the importance of exploring new surgical strategies to improve patient survival and quality of life.
▶️ Watch the full interview below:
Here is the full transcript of the conversation:
Julio: Hi, I’m Julio and welcome to the very first episode of the LIVERATION Podcast, the space where we bring you the latest updates from the European LIVERATION project. In each episode, we will speak with doctors and researchers involved in the clinical trial to learn firsthand how this initiative is helping to improve the treatment of liver cancer.
For this first episode, we spoke with Dr. Dimitri Dorcaratto, a surgeon with extensive experience in liver ablation who is directly involved in the LIVERATION clinical trial. We talked with him about his professional background and how he became involved in this exciting project. So let’s take a look at the interview.
Julio: Okay Dimitri, let’s start with your professional background. Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey and what led you to become involved in the LIVERATION clinical trial?
Dr. Dorcaratto: I did my surgical training at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, where I started working on liver ablation. I later completed my PhD on pancreatic ablation and did a fellowship in transplant and liver surgery in Dublin. Now I’m working in Valencia at Hospital Clínico. Over the years, I’ve collaborated on several studies related to terminal ablation in liver and pancreatic surgery.
David: So you’ve worked with Fernando Burdío’s group for a long time?
Dr. Dorcaratto: Oh, since I was very young. He was my PhD director and is a great friend.
Julio: Why do you believe the LIVERATION project is such an important step in liver cancer research?
Dr. Dorcaratto: In liver cancer—both primary like hepatocellular carcinoma and secondary like colorectal liver metastases—the main problem is local recurrence at the site of resection. As surgeries become less invasive, we often deal with very small margins, which increases the risk. This study aims to solve that by using thermal ablation at the surgical margin. If successful, it could help thousands of patients every year.
David: What’s the most exciting aspect of being part of such a large, multicenter trial?
Dr. Dorcaratto: The scale. More hospitals across Europe means more data and better understanding of how thermal ablation works in different settings. It allows us to get real-life results across Europe.
Julio: What are the main challenges in treating patients with liver metastases or hepatocellular carcinoma?
Dr. Dorcaratto: We often treat patients with multiple metastases or large tumors. We keep pushing the boundaries of what can be resected, and surgical margins become thinner and thinner. Ensuring local control becomes more difficult. This study may help solve that.
David: And how might LIVERATION address these challenges?
Dr. Dorcaratto: By applying thermal ablation to the surgical margin, we can potentially eliminate residual cancer cells, even when margins are minimal or non-existent. It’s a very promising technique.
Julio: What makes the LIVERATION approach different from other treatment methods you’ve used?
Dr. Dorcaratto: It’s the first time we’re standardizing margin ablation across multiple centers. Surgeons usually have their own methods, but this trial aims to scientifically prove the benefit of this approach.
David: And the protocol has already been submitted to a clinical journal?
Dr. Dorcaratto: Yes, it has. It’s a well-designed trial, and I’m confident it will be published in leading journals.
Julio: Let’s talk about patient safety. How do you ensure comfort and safety during participation?
Dr. Dorcaratto: The devices used, like CleanVis and AquaMantis, are already approved and in use. There’s nothing new or risky for patients. What we offer is the possibility of improved long-term outcomes.
David: You’re involved in the training sessions. What’s your role?
Dr. Dorcaratto: I’ve used the devices for years, so I focus on teaching the standard protocol to ensure consistency across centers. It’s key to get reliable data from all participating hospitals.
Julio: Coordinating across 24 centers in 7 countries must be difficult. What’s that experience like?
Dr. Dorcaratto: It’s a huge challenge. Patricia Sánchez is doing an incredible job coordinating everything. Communication and consistency are the hardest parts, especially in an international setting.
David: What feedback have you received from patients so far?
Dr. Dorcaratto: Patients are blinded to the intervention. Most are treated with minimally invasive surgery and report good outcomes, especially when there are no complications. They’re usually very happy post-op.
Julio: How do you think LIVERATION will help shape the future of liver cancer treatment?
Dr. Dorcaratto: It addresses local recurrence, which is a major issue in liver cancer surgery. If we reduce that, we can significantly improve survival.
David: What made you want to join the project?
Dr. Dorcaratto: I’ve worked with Fernando and Patricia for over 15 years. They’re excellent professionals. I trust them and knew this project could be a game-changer.
Julio: Has the trial changed how you view liver cancer treatment?
Dr. Dorcaratto: It reinforces the importance of treating surgical margins. This trial is a necessary scientific step to validate what we’ve observed clinically.
David: What makes the collaboration in LIVERATION unique?
Dr. Dorcaratto: No single European country could do this alone. Collaboration is essential to achieve trials on the level of the U.S. or China. This is the way forward.
Julio: Can you share an experience that impacted you during the trial?
Dr. Dorcaratto: I’ve used ablation since my early research days. I’m still impressed by how effective and clean it is in liver surgery. Now we hope to confirm its oncological benefit.
David: What is your specific role, and what’s been most rewarding?
Dr. Dorcaratto: I’m one of four surgeons involved in my hospital. I act as the liaison with the coordinators, but everything is team-based.
Julio: How do you handle the emotional and psychological aspects of working with patients?
Dr. Dorcaratto: We use tools to assess quality of life before and after surgery. Survival is key, but quality of life is also critical. The study includes this perspective.
David: What has surprised you most so far in this trial?
Dr. Dorcaratto: How effective ablation is in minimally invasive surgery. The results are very clean. Now we’ll see if it also improves cancer outcomes.
Julio: What are your hopes for LIVERATION and the patients?
Dr. Dorcaratto: That we truly reduce local recurrence and improve survival. We know it’s safe and feasible—now we want to prove it works long-term.
David: Thank you so much, Dimitri. Your insights are invaluable.
Julio: Thank you again for your time. We’re sure our listeners will find your experience inspiring.