Stenosis of the inferior vena cava after liver transplantation: treatment with Gianturco expandable metallic stents.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the efficacy of double Gianturco expandable metallic stents for stenosis of the inferior vena cava (IVC) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).


METHODS
Three patients developed severe Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to suprahepatic caval stenosis after OLT. Percutaneous angioplasty (PTA) of the stenoses was unsuccessful. Therefore double Gianturco expandable metallic stents, connected in tandem, were deployed at the site of the stenoses.


RESULTS
One double stent was successfully and definitively deployed in patient 1. Partial dislocation of the upper and lower stents comprising the double stent occurred in patient 2. The double stent initially implanted across the stenosis became displaced in patient 3. The Budd-Chiari syndrome resolved in all three patients who remained asymptomatic during follow-up from 3 to 32 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Double Gianturco stent deployment is a viable option in patients with anastomotic stenosis of the IVC secondary to OLT when initial treatment with PTA fails. Certain modifications of the stents employed are suggested for the purpose of avoiding technical complications.
Simó
G
G
Department of Radiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Echenagusia
A
A
Camúñez
F
F
Quevedo
P
P
Calleja
I J
IJ
Ferreiroa
J P
JP
Bañares
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D006502:Budd-Chiari Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002496:Central Venous Pressure; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*