title: Hepatic artery reconstruction for hepatic artery thrombosis after orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy of reconstruction of the hepatic artery for intraoperative or postoperative thrombosis in orthotopic liver transplantation. Of 37 grafts with artery thrombosis, 13 (35.1%, 6 intraoperative and 7 postoperative) underwent reconstruction of the hepatic artery. The arterial flow was reestablished and maintained in 5 (38.5%) of the 13. Recurrent thrombosis in the other 8 grafts developed 2 to 24 days (mean, 13.8 days) after transplantation. Reconstruction was successful in 50% (4/8) of the adults, compared with only 20% (1/5) of the children. Satisfactory results were obtained when a definitive cause of thrombosis could be identified. We conclude that early recognition and correction of the cause of hepatic artery thrombosis during or after orthotopic liver transplantation, especially in adults, is often a graft-saving and lifesaving procedure worthy of consideration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanaga
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lebeau
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Makowka
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Tzakis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todo
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Stieber
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwatsuki
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Starzl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*