title: A novel technique for hepatic arterial reconstruction in living-donor liver transplant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Arterial reconstruction in patients undergoing living-donor liver transplant is technically difficult because of the small diameter of the vessels in the partial liver graft. In this study, we present our technique for hepatic arterial reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since December 2005, we have performed 54 living-donor liver transplants, which are analyzed retrospectively in this report. In our technique now used at our institution, native and graft hepatic arteries are spatulated from both the anterior and posterior walls to provide a wide anastomosis. Computed tomographic angiography is used to evaluate the vascular anatomy and to measure the diameter of the graft hepatic arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up was 7.2 +/- 5.5 months (range, 1-17 months). Nine of the 54 recipients died within 4 months of the surgery. At the time of this writing, the remaining 45 recipients (84%) are alive and demonstrating good graft function. In 2 recipients (3.7%) in this series, hepatic artery thromboses developed, which were treated with an interventional radiologic technique.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our arterial reconstruction technique has enabled reconstruction of smaller arteries and arteries of various diameters without an operating microscope. The rate of complications in our patients is similar to that reported in similar individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. rektorluk@baskent-ank.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haberal
authors.forename: Sinasi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sevmis
authors.forename: Hamdi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karakayali
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moray
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozcay
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torgay
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aydogan
authors.forename: Gulnaz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects