Biliary strictures and hepatic artery flow abnormalities in split liver transplants

Intraoperative Doppler sonogram in pediatric liver transplants: a pictorial review of intraoperative and early postoperative complications

A spectrum of vascular complications can be seen in pediatric liver transplant patients, including occlusion and hemodynamically significant narrowing of the vessels that provide inflow to or outflow from the graft. Intraoperative Doppler ultrasound (US) has the potential benefit of identifying vascular complications in pediatric liver transplant patients prior to abdominal closure. Importantly, intraoperative Doppler US can be used as a problem-solving tool in situations such as position-dependent kinking of the portal or hepatic veins, or in suspected vasospasm of the hepatic artery. Furthermore, this technique can be used for real-time reassessment after surgical correction of vascular complications. This pictorial review of intraoperative Doppler US in pediatric liver transplant patients illustrates normal findings and common vascular complications, including examples after surgical correction, in the perioperative period.

The influence of a contemporaneous portal and hepatic artery revascularization protocol on biliary complications after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

We sought to compare the impact of sequential and contemporaneous revascularizations of portal vein and hepatic artery on biliary complications in patients undergoing liver transplantation.

METHODS

We reviewed 184 patients who underwent liver transplantation in our center, and categorized them into different groups based on the duration of time between the portal venous and hepatic arterial reperfusion: >10 minutes in the sequential portal and hepatic artery revascularization group (SPA; n = 56), and within 1 minute in the contemporaneous portal and hepatic artery revascularization group (CPA; n = 121).The other patients with an interval from 1-10 minutes (n = 7) were excluded. This study then compared the outcomes between the SPA and CPA groups.

RESULTS

Cold ischemic time (mean ± standard deviation) for the SPA and CPA groups were 561 ± 150 vs 577 ± 187 minutes, respectively (P = .53). The incidence of biliary complications for the SPA and CPA groups were 14/56 and 11/121, respectively (25% vs 9%; P = .005). By the Clavien-Dindo Classification of Surgical Complications, the biliary complications in SPA group tended to be more severe compared with the CPA group (grade I, 0% vs 0%; II, 14% vs 36%; IIIa, 71% vs 64%; IIIb, 7% vs 0%; IV, 7% vs 0%; P = .10). Among biliary complications, the incidence of nonanatomic strictures was greater in the SPA group (9% vs 2%; P = .03), whereas the difference was not significant for anastomotic strictures (P = .054). Except for a lower serum albumin level in the SPA group 1 day after liver transplantation (P < .001), there are no differences in post-transplant liver function or renal function at 1, 7, and 30 days after transplantation.

CONCLUSION

The CPA protocol can decrease the incidence of biliary complications substantially after liver transplantation and should replace the SPA protocol used by some centers in liver transplantation.

Transcapsular arterial neovascularization after liver transplantation in pediatric patients indicates transplant failure

PURPOSE

To identify transcapsular arterial neovascularization with Doppler ultrasonography (US) in pediatric patients after liver transplantation and to assess the frequency of the finding, its underlying causes, and its relevance in terms of clinical outcome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was approved by the local ethics committee, with waived informed consent. All pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 2000 and December 2003 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were followed up until June 2008, by using a predefined US protocol with prospective documentation. Of 182 consecutive liver transplantations performed in 162 patients (mean age, 4.5 years; range, 0.1-18.4 years) in this period, 25 patients with a total of 27 liver transplantations underwent US examinations conducted by multiple investigators and were primarily excluded. Student t tests and χ(2) tests were performed where appropriate. The Tarone-Ware test was used to compare transplant survival times.

RESULTS

Transcapsular arterial neovascularization was noticed in 13 of 137 patients (9.5%) and in 13 of 155 liver transplants (8.4%). The mean time until arterial neovessels appeared was 157 days after liver transplantation (median, 97 days; range, 19-477 days). Arterial neovascularization was associated with pronounced transplant malperfusion and inflammatory changes (P < .001). Patients with transcapsular arterial neovascularization had a significantly shorter mean transplant survival time (1426.4 days ± 244.5 [standard error], with 95% confidence interval: 947.23, 1905.23, vs 2526.4 days ± 92.1, with 95% confidence interval: 2345.84, 2706.97; P = .008) and a higher retransplantation rate (53.8% vs 19.7%, P = .009).

CONCLUSION

Transcapsular arterial neovascularization, detected with color Doppler US, occurred in 9.5% (13 of 137) of pediatric patients and 8.4% (13 of 155) of liver transplants and was associated with underlying malperfusion and inflammation. The diagnosis of transcapsular arterial neovascularization was associated with reduced graft survival times and a high retransplantation rate. The negative prognostic value of the sign may assist in a strategy of organ allocation.

Increasing liver transplantation waiting list mortality: a report from the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Sydney

BACKGROUND

We aimed to describe the demand for liver transplantation (LTx) and patient outcomes on the waiting list at the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Sydney over the last 20 years.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis with the data divided into three eras: 1985-1993, 1994-2000 and 2001-2008.

RESULTS

The number of patients accepted for LTx increased from 320 to 372 and 548 (P < 0.001) with the number of LTx being performed increasing from 262 to 312 and 452 respectively (P < 0.001). The median adult recipient age increased from 45 to 48 and 52 years (P < 0.001) while it decreased in children from 4 to 2 and 1 years respectively (P = 0.001). In parallel, the deceased donor offers decreased from 1003 to 720 and 717 (P < 0.001). Methods to improve access to donor livers have been used with the use of split livers, extended criteria and non-heart beating donors, resulting in increased acceptance of deceased donor offers by 65% and 115% in the second and third eras when compared with the first era (P < 0.001). However, the adult median waiting time has increased from 23 to 41 and 120 days respectively (P < 0.001). This was associated with increased adult mortality on the waiting list from 23 to 40 and 122 respectively (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the increasing proportion of donor offers being used, the waiting list mortality is increasing. A solution to this problem is an increase in organ donation to keep pace with the escalating demand for LTx.