Splenic Artery Transposition for Arterial Reconstruction in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Navigating complex arterial reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation: the role of the splenic artery as a viable conduit

BACKGROUND

In living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), maintaining hepatic arterial flow is critical for graft survival. Alternative methods are required when the recipient's hepatic artery is unsuitable due to extensive dissection or inadequate flow. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of splenic artery transposition (SAT) for hepatic arterial reconstruction in LDLT.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included 10 LDLT patients with hepatic arterial reconstruction by SAT to assess operative parameters, postoperative complications, mortality, and patency rate.

RESULTS

The splenic artery was used because of arterial dissection (70%) or inadequate arterial blood flow. Operative time ranged from 640 to 1020 min, and no splenic infarction was observed. Post-operative complications were as follows; biliary leakage (10%), pancreatitis (10%), intraabdominal hemorrhage (10%), and arterial thrombosis (10%). Mortality in this cohort was 30%, one of them was due to thrombosis of the conduit and the other two died from sepsis-related complications. With a median follow-up of 43 months, this technique was associated with a 70% survival rate.

CONCLUSION

The splenic artery is a viable conduit for hepatic arterial reconstruction in LDLT, demonstrating an acceptable safety profile and complication rates. This approach is recommended in cases where the recipient's hepatic artery is significantly compromised.

Anastomosis selection in liver transplantation for recipients with unusable recipient hepatic arteries: a bayesian network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The anastomosis of donor and recipient hepatic arteries is standard in liver transplantations. For transplant recipients with unusable hepatic arteries, appropriate artery selection should be conducted using evidence-based considerations; therefore, this network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to analyze the most suitable alternative recipient artery for anastomosis during liver transplantations.

METHODS

Comprehensive searches of the Scopus, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE databases were conducted to analyze observational studies containing non-standard anastomoses in liver transplantations that used the splenic artery, aorta, celiac, or branches of the gastric artery. The outcome parameters included intraoperative components, complications, and survival data. This NMA used the BUGSnet package in R studio and the results were presented in a Forest plot, league table, and SUCRA plot.

RESULTS

Among the 13 studies included in this NMA, 5 arteries were used for the anastomoses. The splenic artery anastomosis showed a high risk of thrombosis and a low risk of stenosis (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.13-3.14) and biliary tract abnormalities (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.36-1.55). In addition, the graft survival (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.96-1.23) and overall survival (1-year survival OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.94-1.26; 5-year survival OR 1.95% CI 0.83-1.22) showed favorable results using this artery. Constraints to the use of the splenic artery were longer operation and cold ischemic times. However, the duration of hospital stay (MD 1.36, 95% CI -7.47 to 10.8) was shorter than that when the other arteries were used, and the need for blood transfusions was minimal (MD -1.74, 95% CI -10.2 to 6.7).

CONCLUSION

In recipients with unusable hepatic arteries, the splenic artery of the patient should be the first consideration for anastomosis selection in liver transplantations.

Hepatic Artery Intimal Dissection During Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A New Modified Approach

Ensuring optimal arterial flow in solid organ transplantation is very important. Insufficient flow causes important problems such as bile duct problems, intrahepatic abscess formation, and organ loss. Arterial intimal dissection is an important factor that negatively affects organ blood flow. In this study, hepatic artery dissections that we detected in patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation in our clinic were defined, and the microvascular intima-adventitial fixation technique, which can be considered a new approach, was described.

Splenic artery transposition for reconstruction of a large hepatic artery aneurysm: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Hepatic artery aneurysms (HAAs) are rare. Typical treatment options for HAAs are surgical resection and endovascular treatment but treatment choices remain controversial.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 65-year-old woman was rushed to our hospital suspected to have hemorrhage. Contrast-enhanced CT showed a large 12 cm aneurysm of the common hepatic artery (CHA). We diagnosed duodenal hemorrhage due to imminent rupture of the HAA. Angiography was first performed. The inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery was embolized with a coil under interventional radiology technique for arterial bleeding control. Next, we performed resection of the aneurysm and total pancreatectomy with splenic artery reservation. We reconstructed via splenic artery transposition because of the reconstruction distance, vascular system, and stability of the anastomosis. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 21 without any complications.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

There are two key points in this report. Firstly, the choice of splenic artery transposition is optimal for caliber difference and reconstruction distance. The choice of splenic artery should be considered a reliable option. Secondly, total pancreatectomy avoids exposure to pancreatic juice at the anastomosis site due to pancreatic fistula.

CONCLUSION

Splenic artery transposition for HAA is advantageous in adjustability of the caliber difference and securing of sufficient distance. In addition, total pancreatectomy may be acceptable in patients with a normal pancreas to avoid fatal complications such as disruption of the anastomosis and reconstructed artery due to pancreatic juice exposure.

Single vs Multiple Arterial Reconstructions in Living Donor Liver Transplant

BACKGROUND

It is true that multiple arterial reconstructions are sometimes required in living donor liver transplant (LDLT). However, the best procedure is still controversial regarding arterial reconstruction in liver grafts with multiple arteries.

METHODS

A total of 93 patients, 55 right lobe grafts and 38 left lobe grafts, who underwent LDLT at our university from 2003 to 2017 were enrolled for this study. Regarding arterial reconstruction in grafts with multiple hepatic arteries, the dominant artery was reconstructed first. Subsequently, when both the pulsating arterial flow from the remaining artery stumps and the intra-graft arterial flow by Doppler ultrasonography were confirmed, the remaining arteries were not reconstructed. The patients were divided into the following 3 groups: (1) single artery/single reconstruction (n = 81), (2) selective arterial reconstruction of multiple arterial grafts (n = 7), and (3) multiple arterial reconstructions (n = 5).

RESULTS

A total of 12.9% (12/93; right lobe: 2/55; left lobe 10/38) of grafts had multiple arteries. The incidence of multiple arteries was significantly higher in the left lobe grafts (P = .0029). The arterial diameters (SD) of multiple arterial grafts were narrower (2.43 [0.84] mm) than single arterial grafts (3.70 [1.30] mm) (P = .0135). Extra-anatomic arterial reconstruction were frequently required in multiple arterial reconstructions (group 1 and 2 vs 3) (P = .0007). The strategy of selective arterial reconstruction with the above criteria did not negatively affect the rates of biliary complications or the overall patient survival (P = .52).

CONCLUSIONS

It can be argued that selective arterial reconstructions demonstrated acceptable outcomes in LDLT, provided that the above criteria were satisfied.

An arc of Bühler variant

The celiaco-mesenteric anastomoses occur either directly between the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), or between different branches of them. A rarely occurring such anastomosis is the arc of Bühler. A new variant of arc of Bühler was found incidentally during a retrospective study of the computed tomography angiograms of a 62 y.o. male patient. In that case, the arc of Bühler left from the splenic artery and inserted into the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (IPDA), proximally to the IPDA division into its anterior and posterior branches. Moreover, that arc of Bühler was giving off a mesenterico-jejunal branch, which descended applied on the anterior side of the SMA. Such anatomic variants could impede on the surgical or interventional procedures in the duodenopancreatic region, or could be physiologically useful to divert the celiac flow towards the mesenteric territory, or vice versa.

Splenic artery transposition for hepatic arterial reconstruction in conversion surgery of an initially unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer after gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel: A case report

Introduction and importance

Recent advances in chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy allow performance of conversion surgery by improving tumor shrinkage in select patients with initially unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), thereby providing curative potential. The number of conversion surgeries requiring arterial reconstruction for select patients with initially unresectable LAPC following favorable responses is expected to increase, so providing effective options for safe arterial reconstruction is critical.

Case presentation

Herein we report a case of successful conversion surgery for initially unresectable LAPC with splenic artery transposition for hepatic arterial reconstruction after gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (GnP). A 71-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a pancreatic head mass after developing diabetes. She was diagnosed with unresectable LAPC, which was in wide contact with the common hepatic artery (CHA), proper hepatic artery (PHA), and splenic artery (SA). She received GnP, and after 6 cycles, durations of disease control and normalization of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) exceeded 7 months. She underwent radical subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy with CHA-PHA and portal vein (PV) resection (SA-right hepatic artery anastomosis/PV-superior mesenteric vein direct end-to-end anastomosis). Histopathological examination revealed R0 resection with a histological response of Evans grade IIB. No signs of tumor recurrence have been observed for 14 months postoperatively.

Clinical discussion

No consensus has been reached regarding the optimal treatment regimen, duration, or criteria for conversion surgery in patients with LAPC, especially in cases requiring arterial resection. SA transposition for hepatic arterial reconstruction is generally very consistent, easily accessible, and offers adequate length and diameter for successful arterial anastomosis.

Conclusion

Even for a SA initially in contact with the tumor, SA transposition for hepatic artery reconstruction is a safe and effective option when tumor contact disappears due to chemotherapy.