title: Comparative morphometric analysis of 5 interpositional arterial autograft options for adult living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: In living donor liver transplantation, the right-sided graft presents thin and short vessels, bringing forward a more difficult anastomosis. In these cases, an interpositional arterial autograft can be used to favor the performance of the arterial anastomosis, making the procedure easier and avoiding surgical complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), the splenic artery (SA), the inferior epigastric artery (IEA), the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA), and the proper hepatic artery (PHA) as options for interpositional autograft in living donor liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Segments of at least 3 cm of all 5 arteries were harvested from 16 fresh adult cadavers from both genders through standardized dissection. The analyzed measures were proximal and distal diameter and length. The proximal diameter of the RHA and the distal diameter of the SA, IMA, IEA and the LCFA were compared to the distal diameter of the RHA. The proximal and distal diameters of the SA, IEA and LCFA were compared to study caliber gain of each artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All arteries except the IMA showed statistical significant difference in relation to the RHA in terms of diameter. Regarding caliber gain, the arteries demonstrated statistical significant difference. All the harvested arteries except PHA were 3 cm in length.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IMA demonstrated the best compatibility with the RHA in terms of diameter and showed sufficient length to be employed as interpositional graft. The PHA, the SA, the IEA and the LCFA presented statistically significant different diameters when compared to the RHA. Among these vessels, only the PHA did not show sufficient mean length.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: eimakuma@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Imakuma
authors.affiliation: University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bordini
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Millan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: P C B
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Massarollo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: E T E G
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Caldini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation*; D064592:Autografts / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D019074:Epigastric Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D017537:Mesenteric Artery, Inferior / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D058017:Vascular Grafting / Q000379:methods*