title: Outcomes of long storage times for cryopreserved vascular grafts in outflow reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: The outflow reconstruction of the right anterior sector in a right liver graft (RLG) with cryopreserved vascular grafts (CVGs) is crucial for preventing graft congestion in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The impact of the duration of cryopreservation has not been evaluated so far. From 2006 to 2009, 250 LDLT were performed: 47 of these patients (group 1) received CVGs stored for ≦1 year, and 33 patients (group 2) received CVGs stored for >1 year. Single or multiple segment 8 hepatic veins were reconstructed. The number of anastomoses did not affect vascular graft patency (P = 0.21). The length of the cryopreservation time did not affect the histological findings for CVGs. The preoperative and postoperative liver graft volumes were 783.8 ± 129.7 and 1102 ± 194.7 cc, respectively, for group 1 and 753.7 ± 158.5 and 1097.2 ± 178.7 cc, respectively, for group 2. The regeneration indices for liver grafts in the whole patient group, group 1, and group 2 were 48.9%, 47.4%, and 51.05%, respectively. In conclusion, the storage duration has no impact on the patency of CVGs in outflow reconstruction or on the regeneration of RLGs in LDLT. CVGs stored for >1 year can be safely used for the outflow reconstruction of RLGs in LDLT.
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Program, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lopez-Valdes
authors.forename: Ting-Lung
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: Chee-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Wei-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shih-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chih-Che
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yueh-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tsan-Shiun
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Allan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Concejero
authors.forename: Hock-Liew
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Yu-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jawan
authors.forename: Chao-Long
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D055815:Young Adult