Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Manuscript ID	117321
Country	China

Category	Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manuscript Type	Minireviews
Article Title	Gut-liver axis management and its surgical application: A perspective from “liver governing free flow”
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Nian-Song Kang, Hai-Jun Fang and Si-Hui Zheng
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number 2020 Zhejiang Province Traditional Chinese Medicine "Xin Miao" Programme Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine (2021) No.1 2021 Zhejiang Province Training Programme for Young and Middle-aged Clinical Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine (2021) No.22
Corresponding Author	Nian-Song Kang, Department of Gastroenterology, Yuyao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1500 Zhongshan South Road, Yuyao 315400, Zhejiang Province, China. 18958331203@163.com
Key Words	Liver main detoxification; Intestinal-liver axis; Digestive diseases; Integration of Chinese and western medicine; Traditional Chinese medicine; Digestive surgery
Core Tip	This article innovatively integrates the traditional Chinese medicine theory of “liver governing free flow” with the modern medical concept of the gut-liver axis, extending its application to perioperative management in digestive surgery. By reviewing intervention strategies such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and dietary therapy, it explores their potential mechanisms in regulating intestinal microecology, improving barrier function, and influencing hepatic metabolism. This provides a new theoretical perspective and practical pathway for the integrated prevention and treatment of digestive system diseases through the combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine.
Citation	Kang NS, Fang HJ, Zheng SH. Gut-liver axis management and its surgical application: A perspective from “liver governing free flow”. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; In press

Received	2025-12-26 10:20
Peer-Review Started	2025-12-26 10:20
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-08 02:28
Return for Revision	2026-01-08 02:28
Revised	2026-01-20 08:13
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-01-26 02:20
Second Decision by Editor	2026-02-05 02:47
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-02-05 05:27
Articles in Press	2026-02-05 05:27
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-9366 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright	© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Permissions	For details, please visit: http://www.wjgnet.com/bpg/gerinfo/207
Publisher	Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Website	http://www.wjgnet.com