The use of coronary stent in hepatic artery stenosis after orthotopic liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of coronary stent placement in hepatic artery stenosis after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).


METHODS
Of 430 consecutive adult orthotopic liver transplant recipients between November 2003 and September 2005, 17 had hepatic artery stenosis (HAS). Fourteen of them underwent coronary stent placement in the HAS. The technical results, complications, hepatic artery patency and clinical outcome were reviewed.


RESULTS
Technical and immediate success was 100%. After a mean follow-up of 159.4 days (range, 9-375 days), all patients obtained patent hepatic arteries except 2 patients occurred hepatic artery restenoses at 26 and 45 days after stent placement, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curve of patency showed cumulated stent patency at 3, 6, and 12 months of 78%, 58% and 45%, respectively. During the follow-up, 8 patients survived, 5 died of septic multiple-organ failure, 1 received retransplantation because of refractory biliary infection. Hepatic artery dissection induced by a guiding catheter occurred in one patient and was successfully treated with a coronary stent.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatic artery stenosis after OLT can be successfully treated with coronary stent placement with low complication rate and an acceptable 1-year hepatic artery patency rate.
Huang
Mingsheng
M
Department of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China.
Shan
Hong
H
Jiang
Zaibo
Z
Li
Zhengran
Z
Zhu
Kangshun
K
Guan
Shouhai
S
Qian
Jiesheng
J
Chen
Guihua
G
Lu
Minqiang
M
Yang
Yang
Y
D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency