Piggyback allogeneic orthotopic liver transplantation was performed successfully in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis on July 26,1996. Topographic study of hepatic veins and short hepatic veins were made in 17 adult cadavers. The majority of short hepatic veins were found in the middle and lower portion of inferior vena cava (IVC) behind liver, but two of 17 cases had a big accessory middle hepatic vein and the right hepatic vein (1 case) divided four branchs into IVC in the area. The lengths of the main trunk of left, middle and right hepatic vein were 22.8±8.80 mm, 50.98±23.94 mm and 22.80±9.50 mm and the diameters were 10.74±2.86 mm, 9.50±3.75 mm and 15.60±4.05 mm respectively. The right hepatic vein in all cases, except one drained into IVC as one vessel. The middle and left hepatic vein drained into IVC in different forms: ①joining as one vessel longer than 1cm before entering IVC (23.5%);②joining right before entering IVC (70.6%); ③draining into IVC separately (5.9%). The distance between right and middle hepatic vein was 7-23 mm. Topography of hepatic veinous flow related with the technique of piggyback operation and removing of diseased liver is discussed.

Citation： Peng Minghao,Yang Dinghua,Huang Yuan,et al.. TOPOGRAPHY OF HEPATIC VEINS FOR PIGGYBACK OPERATION IN LIVER TRANSPLANTATION AND PRACTICE. CHINESE JOURNAL OF BASES AND CLINICS IN GENERAL SURGERY, 1998, 5(4): 217-219. doi: Copy