title: Influence of retrograde flushing via the caval vein on the post-reperfusion syndrome in liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reperfusion phase during orthotopic liver transplantation (LTX) is a critical event with sometimes profound hemodynamic and cardiac changes. We present the influence of retrograde reperfusion in LTX on the post-reperfusion syndrome (PRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six LTXs in 53 patients were performed with the piggy-back technique with retrograde reperfusion via the caval vein and antegrade reperfusion via the portal vein. The incidence of PRS was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a PRS in two patients (3.6%), four patients (7.1%) had a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 20-29%, 18 patients (32.2%) of 10-19%, 27 patients (48.2%) of 1-9% and five patients (8.9%) had a small increase in MAP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our retrospective study showed that retrograde reperfusion seems to maintain stability during the reperfusion phase. Hemodynamic disturbances during LTX were uncommon, leading us to suppose that the incidence of PRS could be diminished with retrograde reperfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria. daniela.kniepeiss@meduni-graz.at
authors.forename: Kniepeiss
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daniela
authors.forename: Zink
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Iberer
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Florian
authors.forename: Schaffellner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silvia
authors.forename: Jakoby
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estrella
authors.forename: Duller
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doris
authors.forename: Tscheliessnigg
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karl-Heinz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015424:Reperfusion / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013577:Syndrome; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior