title: Postoperative haemodynamic changes in transplanted liver: Long-term follow-up with ultrasonography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate haemodynamic changes in the transplanted liver without postoperative complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Colour Doppler ultrasound was used to monitor recipients of liver transplants who had no postoperative complications. The haemodynamic data for the hepatic vasculature were compared at different time-points during the first 4 years after liver transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 144 liver transplant patients were enrolled in the study. Portal vein flow velocity decreased significantly from 72.1 ± 30.3 cm/s at 1 day to 44.2 ± 20.1 cm/s at 1 month after liver transplantation. Hepatic artery flow velocity was 61.4 ± 33.2 cm/s at day 1; it then decreased slowly but significantly to 48.3 ± 20.4 cm/s at 3 years after transplantation. There were 81 (56.3%) patients with high hepatic artery resistance index (HARI) (>0.80) and 19 (13.2%) with low HARI (<0.50) measured at least once during the 4-year follow-up examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased portal vein flow velocity was the typical change observed during the first month after liver transplantation. Abnormal haemodynamic Doppler results should be interpreted with caution because they may not be clinically significant and may improve spontaneously.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China puguang61@126.com.
authors.forename: Wen-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jie-Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance
keywords: Doppler; Haemodynamics; liver transplantation; ultrasound