Interpostion vein graft in living donor liver transplantation.
In adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), right lobe grafts without a middle hepatic vein can cause hepatic congestion and disturbance of venous drainage. To solve this problem, various types of interposition vein graft have been used.


OBJECTIVE
We used various types of interposition vein grafts for drainage of the paramedian portion of the right lobe in living donor liver transplantation.


METHODS
From June 1996 to June 2003, 37 of 176 patients (128 adults, 48 pediatric) who underwent LDLT received vein grafts for drainage of segments V, VIII, or the inferior portion of the right lobe.


RESULTS
In 36 adult cases the reconstruction included the inferior mesenteric vein of the donor (n = 14); cadaveric iliac vein stored at cold (4 degrees C) temperature (n = 5); cryopreserved (-180 degrees C) cadaveric iliac vein (n = 10); cryopreserved cadaveric iliac artery (n = 1 case); donor ovarian vein (n = 1); recipient umbilical vein (n = 3); recipient saphenous vein (n = 1); recipient left portal vein (n = 1); recipient left hepatic vein (n = 1). In a pediatric case with malignant hemangioendothelioma that encased and compressed the inferior vena cava, we used an interposition vein graft to replace the inferior vena cava.


CONCLUSIONS
Various types of interposition vein grafts can be used in living donor liver transplantation. Cryopreserved cadaveric iliac vein and artery are useful to solve these drainage problems.
Lee
K W
KW
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
D S
DS
Lee
H H
HH
Joh
J W
JW
Choi
S H
SH
Heo
J S
JS
Lee
S K
SK
Kim
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D007084:Iliac Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation