title: Transplantation of a severely lacerated liver--a case report with review of the literature.
abstract: Using lacerated livers for liver transplantation (LTx) can add an option to the extended donor criteria. We present an LTx case using a severely lacerated liver and review of the literature for reported cases. We used a high-grade lacerated liver from a 19-yr-old brain-dead patient caused by traffic accident. The liver had grade IV and II lacerations in the right and left lobe, respectively. Lacerations were managed by sealants, stitching and perihepatic packing. The liver was transplanted to a 49-yr-old man suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma on hepatitis C-induced liver cirrhosis. The two-yr follow-up was uneventful. All published LTx cases using traumatized livers (n = 18) were analyzed. The liver injury ranged from subcapsular hematoma to deep ruptures. Most reported lacerations were in the right lobe, which were managed by digital compression, suturing, electrocautery, and perihepatic packing. The reported complications were primary non- (18%), or poor function, liver abscess, bilioma, and subhepatic hematoma each in one case (5.5%). Six-month graft and patient survival were 71% and 88%, respectively. With meticulous management lacerated livers can be transplanted successfully. Because of complexity of the management, procurement and transplantation should be done by experienced liver surgeons. These organs are marginal grafts and should be offered to selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Visceral Transplantation, Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg , Germany. arianeb_mehrabi@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Arianeb
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehrabi
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fonouni
authors.forename: Rezvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Bruno M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Schmied
authors.forename: Sascha A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Welsch
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hallscheidt
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeier
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weitz
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D022125:Lacerations; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult