title: Frequency of and factors associated with vascular complications after pediatric liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the frequency and factors associated with vascular complications after pediatric liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  risk factors were evaluated in 99 patients under 18 years of age with chronic liver disease who underwent deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) between March of 1995 and November of 2009 at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. The variables analyzed included donor and recipient age, gender, and weight; indication for transplant; PELD/MELD scores; technical aspects; postoperative vascular complications; and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  vascular complications occurred in 19 patients (19%). Arterial events were most common, occurred earlier in the postoperative period, and were associated with high graft loss and mortality rates. In the multivariate analysis, the following factors were identified: portal vein diameter ≤ 3mm, donor-to-recipient body weight ratio (DRWR), prolonged ischemic time, and use of arterial grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the choice of treatment depends on the timing of diagnosis; however, in this study, surgical revision or correction produced worse outcomes than percutaneous angioplasty. The reduction of risk factors and early detection of vascular complications are key elements to a successful transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orlandini
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Liver Transplantation Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: flavia.feier@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Flávia Heinz
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Feier
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Brunna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kieling
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Gonçalves
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Liver Transplantation Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zanotelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Artéria hepática; Hepatic artery; Morbidez; Morbidity; Mortalidade; Mortality; Portal vein; Thrombosis; Trombose; Veia porta