title: Choice of Partial Splenic Embolization Technique in Liver Transplant Recipients Correlates With Risk of Infectious Complications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complications of cirrhosis may persist after liver transplantation. When indicated, partial splenic embolization (PSE) is an alternative to splenectomy but can cause severe infection. The identification of modifiable risk factors when performing PSE in immunocompromised liver transplant recipients may help reduce the risk of severe infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected retrospectively for all PSE performed after liver transplantation at a single institution and included demographics, etiology of liver disease, indication for PSE, vaccination status, laboratory findings, procedural details, extent and pattern of splenic infarction, hospital length-of-stay, readmissions, procedural complications, and mortality. Statistical analysis included 2-tailed t test, Fisher exact test, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves, with significance defined as P < .05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen patients received 22 embolizations, with 11 patients undergoing a single session and 5 patients undergoing multiple sessions. Indications included hypersplenism, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, ascites, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. PSE produced significant and sustained cell count increases, improved ascites, and controlled hemorrhage. Splenic abscess, septic shock, need for splenectomy, and PSE-related mortality were seen in the group with large confluent splenic infarction but not in peripheral/wedge-shaped infarction. Multiple-session PSE exclusively using particles for embolization correlated with the pattern of peripheral/wedge-shaped infarction and avoided severe infection and PSE-related mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSE in the immunosuppressed liver transplant recipient is an effective alternative to splenectomy, but carries substantial infectious risk. The risk is decreased when PSE performed with polyvinyl alcohol particles results in a pattern of peripheral/wedge-shaped infarction, which correlates with smaller infarction volumes, favorable length-of-stay, and minimal risk of abscess, sepsis, and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Elfeki
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Electronic address: paz.ricardo@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paz-Fumagalli
authors.affiliation: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pungpapong
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sella
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Harnois
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006971:Hypersplenism / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D007238:Infarction; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol