title: Split liver transplantation using extended right grafts: the natural history of segment 4 and its impact on early postoperative outcomes.
abstract: Split liver transplantation (SLT) using extended right grafts is associated with complications related to ischemia of hepatic segment 4 (S4), and these complications are associated with poor outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed 36 SLT recipients so that we could assess the association of radiological, biological, and clinical features with S4 ischemia. The overall survival rates were 84.2%, 84.2%, and 77.7% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The recipients were mostly male (24/36 or 67%) and had a median age of 52 years (range = 13-63 years), a median body mass index of 22.9 kg/m(2) (range = 17.3-29.8 kg/m(2) ), and a median graft-to-recipient weight ratio of 1.3% (range = 0.9%-1.9%). S4-related complications were diagnosed in 22% of the patients (8/36) with a median delay of 22 days (range = 10-30 days). Secondary arterial complications were seen in 3 of these patients and led to significantly decreased graft survival in comparison with the graft survival of patients without complications (50.0% versus 85.6%, P = 0.017). Patients developing S4-related complications had significantly elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (>1000 IU/L) on postoperative day (POD) 1 and elevated gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels (>300 IU/L) on PODs 7 and 10 (P < 0.05). These AST and GGT elevations conferred a significantly high risk of developing these complications (odds ratio = 42, 95% confidence interval = 4-475, P < 0.05). The ischemic volume of S4 was extremely variable (0%-95%) and did not correlate with S4-related complications. In conclusion, our results suggest that S4-related complications are risk factors for worse graft survival, and the development of these complications can be anticipated by the early identification of a specific biological profile and a routine radiological examination.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Service, Saint Antoine Hospital, Assistance Public-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ailton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sepulveda
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scatton
authors.forename: Hadrien
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tranchart
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gouya
authors.forename: Fabiano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perdigao
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stenard
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Yvon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Calmus
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Soubrane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010297:Paris; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases