title: Vascular stents in the management of portal venous complications in living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of stent placement in the treatment of portal vein (PV) stenosis or occlusion in living donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients, 468 LDLT records were reviewed. Sixteen (10 PV occlusions and 6 stenoses) recipients (age range, 8 months-59 years) were referred for possible interventional angioplasty (dilatation and/or stent) procedures. Stent placement was attempted in all. The approaches used were percutaneous transhepatic (n = 10), percutaneous transsplenic (n = 4), and intraoperative (n = 2). Technical success was achieved in 11 of 16 patients (68.8%). The sizes of the stents used varied from 7 mm to 10 mm in diameter. In the five unsuccessful patients, long-term complete occlusion of the PV with cavernous transformation precluded catherterization. The mean follow-up was 12 months (range, 3-24). The PV stent patency rate was 90.9% (10/11). Rethrombosis and occlusion of the stent and PV occurred in a single recipient who had a cryoperserved vascular graft to reconstruct the PV during the LDLT operation. PV occlusion of >1 year with cavernous transformation seemed to be a factor causing technical failure. In conclusion, early treatment of PV stenosis and occlusion by stenting is an effective treatment in LDLT. Percutaneous transhepatic and transsplenic, and intraoperative techniques are effective approaches depending on the situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, [corrected] Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: L L-C
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: T-L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: T-Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Concejero
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S-H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T-S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y-W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: K-W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jawan
authors.forename: H-L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: C-L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001808:Blood Vessels; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery