title: Preoperative transarterial chemoembolization does not increase hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation: A single center 12-year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a bridge to liver transplantation or downstaging therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has potential risks in causing damage to hepatic artery (HA), resulting in severe postoperative complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of pre-TACE on postoperative hepatic artery complications (HAC) for HCC patients in a single liver transplant center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of 450 HCC patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) from January 2001 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into Group 1 (with pre-TACE) and Group 2 (without pre-TACE). Preoperative characteristics and postoperative HAC were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and eleven patients (69 men; median age, 37±9.9 years) in Group 1 were compared with 339 patients (244 men; median age, 38.8±8.0 years) in Group 2. Patients were comparable in donor/recipients characteristics between groups. Histological review for native liver samples showed that Edema was the most often seen complication following pre-OLT TACE (troncluar: 87 vs 9; segmental: 91 vs 10; liver parenchyma: 93 vs 8; P=0.000). Fibrosis, thrombosis and aneurysm were only seen in Group 1. There were no significant difference in postoperative HAC (5/111 (4.5%) vs 5/339 (1.5%), P=0.131) between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our single institution experience showed that it might be safe to perform pre-TACE in HCC patients before OLT. It would not increase postoperative HAC risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. Electronic address: doclibo@126.com.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Lvnan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Tianfu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Jiayin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Wusheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Mingqing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C511207:metuximab; D004317:Doxorubicin