Complex vascular reconstructions in living donor liver transplantation.
We describe here the indications for and our experience with complex vascular reconstructions in living donor liver transplantation. From December 1999 to June 2002, 59 patients underwent liver transplantation, 51 receiving the right lobe, and 8 the left lateral lobe, as a graft from a living donor. The indication for interpositional grafts on the arterial side (6/59, 10%) were stenoses of the celiac trunk and after resection of the hepatic artery for oncological reasons in adults. In children, arterial interpositional grafts were performed in situations of long distances between the donor and recipient artery, or in cases of inflow release from the aorta in patients with small hepatic arteries. On the portal-venous side, one interpositional graft was performed after an oncological resection. Once the portal vein was partially arterialized because of insufficient inflow. We used veins from the recipient, and native or cryopreserved arterial homografts for these grafts. All patients were treated during the first 6 months after transplantation with aspirin only. During the follow-up we did not observe vascular complications. If required, vascular interpositional grafts in the arterial and portal-venous position can be performed without adding postoperative complications.
Settmacher
Utz
U
Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Charite, Humboldt University of Berlin, Campus Virchow, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. utz.settmacher@charite.de
Steinmüller
Thomas
T
Luck
Werner
W
Eisele
Robert
R
Theruvath
Tom
T
Heise
Michael
M
Neuhaus
Peter
P
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*