【Abstract】ObjectiveTo report the author’s experience with the first case of an adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) using cryopreserved vena cava graft in postheptic vena cava reconstruction. MethodsA 35-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of BCS complicated with inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction received medical treatment and radiologic intervention for nine months, no relief of the symptoms could be achieved. Finally, the patient underwent LDLT, which required posthepatic vena cava reconstructed using cryopreserved vena cava graft. ResultsThe patient has had an uneventful course since the LDLT. ConclusionWe believe that LDLT combined with posthepatic IVC reconstruction using cryopreserved vena cava graft is considered to be a sound modality for IVC obstructed BCS.
【Abstract】Objective To study the anatomy of the hepatic arteries and imitate the way to deal with the hepatic arteries in the living liver transplantation of the left lateral lobe.Methods Thirty normal adult livers were anatomyzed and 30 casting models of livers were observed. The lengths, diameters and distributaries of the hepatic arteries were described.Results The blood supply of the left lateral region came from proper hepatic artery, left hepatic artery and middle hepatic artery. The aberrant arteries included left inferior phrenic artery, left gastric artery and right gastric artery. They branched to supply the upper segment and the inferior segment.Conclusion There are five types of hepatic arteries to supply the left liver lobe. The anatomy of hepatic arteries should be studied and a reasonable approach to gain a liver graft should be designed before transplantation. The hepatic arteries should be dealt with so as to anastomose with recipient hepatic arteries.
Objective To summarize the experience of l iving donor l iver transplantation using cryopreserved il iac vein for middle hepatic vein reconstruction. Methods Between July 2006 and June 2009, right l iver transplantation without middle hepatic vein was performed in 37 cases of 85 patients undergoing l iving donor l iver transplantation; of 37 cases, 30 received middle hepatic vein reconstruction using cryopreserved il iac vein. There were 27 males and 3 females, aged from 10 to 57 years (median, 44 years). Thirty cases included 11 hepatocellular carcinoma, 10 hepatic cirrhosis, 2 Wilson’ sdisease, 1 cholangiocarcinoma, 1 hepatoblastoma, 1 congenital hepatic fibrosis, 1 chronic severe hepatitis, and 1 congenital bil iary atresia. Il iac veins harvested from donors were put into 0-4℃ mixed antibiotics sal ine and transported to the operating room. The il iac veins were trimmed, placed into sterile bags (containing RMPI 1640 + 20% DMSO + 10% calf protein solution) and frozen at —70 . In l iving donor l iver transplantation process, the veins were melt and used for middle hepatic vein reconstruction. After operation, the patency of veins was monitored by regular Doppler ultrasound examination or enhanced CT for 3 months. Results In 30 patients, 30 il iac veins were used. The average cryopreserve time was 14 days (range, 3-44 days). Anastomosis were all successful; after cryopreservation, the blood vessels texture and elasticity were fit for surgery. No easily tearing or severe suture bleeding was observed. In 30 patients, 6 had segment V veins reconstruction; 3 had segment VIII; and 21 had both segments V and VIII. The patency rate of reconstructed vessels was 93% at 1 week, 90% at 2 weeks, 90% at 1 month, and 67% at 3 months. No serious compl ication was observed in donors. The prognosis was good with no small-for-size syndrome. Conclusion Cryopreserved il iac vein is an ideal material for the right hepatic l iving donor l iver transplantation in the reconstruction of middle hepatic vein.
Objective To summarize the experience of the prevention of early arterial compl ications after hepatic artery (HA) reconstruction in adult-to-adult l iving donor l iver transplantation (A-A LDLT). Methods Between January 2002and March 2008, 127 patients underwent A-A LDLT. Of the 131 donors (127 cases of right lobe graft, 4 cases of left lobe graft), there were 69 males and 62 females with a mean age of 36.2 years (range, 19-65 years); in 127 recipients, there were 109 males and 18 females with a mean age of 41.9 years (range, 18-64 years). All patients underwent microsurgical reconstruction of HA between grafts and recipients. The artery of graft was anastomosed to the right HA in 62 cases, to the proper HA in 34 cases, to the left HA in 7 cases, to the common HA in 6 cases, and aberrant right HA rising from superior mesenteric artery in 8 cases. Interposition bypass using great saphenous vein (GSV) was performed between the donor right HA and recipient common HA in 5 cases. Bypass was performed between the donor right HA and recipient abdominal aorta using GSV in 2 cases, or using cryopreserved cadaveric il iac vessels in 3 cases. Results Of these 127 cases, hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) occurred in 2 recipients (1.6%) at 1 day and 7 days following A-A LDLT, which were successfully revascularized with GSV between right HA of donor and abdominal aorta of recipient, HAT in 1 patient occurred on the 46th postoperative day with no symptom. No other arterial compl ication such as HA stenosis and aneurysm occurred in recipients. All patients were followed up 9-67 months. At 1, 2, and 3 years, actual survival rateswere 82.2%, 64.7%, and 59.2%. No death was related to HA compl ication in peri-operative period. Conclusion The anatomic structure and variation of HA, the pathological changes, as well as surgical technique in HA reconstruction, have direct impact on the risk of postoperative compl ications of HA reconstruction.
Objective To approach whether the postoperative recovery processes of the living donors and hepaticpatients after right hepatectomy is similar. Methods The clinical data of consecutive cases from 2009 to 2010 in our liver transplantation center was retrospectively analyzed， including 40 cases who donated the right lobe without the middlehepatic vein （living donor liver transpalntation-donor group， abbreviated as LDLT-D group） and 80 hepatic patients forright hepatectomy， in which 40 cases were hepatic patients without cirrhosis （liver disease-noncirrhosis group， abbreviatedas LD-NC group） and 40 cases were hepatic patients with cirrhosis （liver disease-with cirrhosis group， abbreviated asLD-WC group）. Preoperative liver function and general clinical data， intraoperative blood loss and transfusion， postoper-ative liver function， and complications were statistically analyzed in this study. Results The preoperative parameters of three groups were comparable. LDLT-D group experienced more intraoperative bleeding than LD-NC group 〔（765±411） mL vs. （584±242） mL， P=0.008〕， and was similar to LD-WC group 〔（666±224） mL， P=0.136〕. However， the average amount of blood transfusion products was similar among the 3 groups （P=0.108）. The levels of total bilirubin and INR of LDLT-D group were higher than LD-NC group and LD-WC group on the first and third day after operation （P＜0.05）. The levels of ALT and AST of LD-WC group were higher than LDLT-D group and LD-NC group （P＜0.05）. The overall postoperative surgical morbidity incidence of LDLT-D group， LD-NC group， and LD-WC group were 30.0%（12/40）， 27.5% （11/40）， and 37.5% （15/40） respectively， and were not statistically significant （P=0.606）. However， the ClavienⅢcomplication rate of LD-WC group was higher than LDLT-D group and LD-NC group 〔27.5% （11/40） vs. 7.5%（3/40） and 10.0% （4/40）， P=0.024〕. Conclusions Liver function of living donors is injured more seriously during the early postoperative period. The total complication rates after right hepatectomy are similar among the living liver donation and hepatic patients with or without cirrhosis. However， the serious complication rate of cirrhotic liver recipients is higher than living donors and patients without cirrhosis.
ObjectiveTo investigate the radiological appearances of postoperative complications after living donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma under multi-detector row spiral computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. MethodsThirty-nine imaging data in 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after living donor liver transplantation from January 2008 to June 2010 in the West China Hospital were included and analyzed by two radiologists respectively. The relations between the types of complications and radiological appearances were especially recorded. ResultsAll the cases experienced complications to different extent. Common surgical complications occured in 20 cases, including pertitoneal fluid collection (14 cases), pneumoperitoneum (2 cases), swelling of peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery (1 case), abdominal wall swelling (2 cases), pleural effusion (9 cases), and pericardial fluid collection (2 cases). Hepatic vascular complications involved hepatic artery in 3 cases, portal vein in 5 cases. Biliary complications presented in 7 cases, including anastomotic stenosis of biliary duct (6 cases) and bile leak (1 case). Graft parenchymal complications included intrahepatic lymph retention (11 cases), infarction (3 cases), and infection (2 cases). Intrahepatic recurrence in 5 cases, intraperitoneal metastasis in 3 csses and pulmonary metastasis in 2 cases. ConclusionMDCT and MRI have important diagnostic values for postoperative complications after living donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
ObjectiveTo review the causes, prevention methods, and therapies of the small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). MethodsThe literatures about SFSS in recent years were reviewed and summarized. ResultsThe donor’s age, graft steatosis level, MELD score of the recipient, portal hypertension, low outflow, and graft size were risk factors of SFSS. Ideal donor, splenectomy, ligating splenic artery, keeping a satisfactory intraoperative outflow, early diagnosis and active therapy could obviously decrease the incidence of SFSS. ConclusionThe risk factors of SFSS can be predicted before operation, and the positive actions can be used to prevent or cure the SFSS.
Objective To discuss venous drainage types of median hepatic lobe and their guiding significances on the selection of grafts. Methods Between April 2005 and March 2009, 109 potential living donors underwent 3-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) and the volume of graft was determined in the center of organ transplantation of Ruijin Hospital. The venous drainage types of median hepatic lobe of each donor were analyzed by the computer-based liver operation-planning system in detail to assign middle hepatic vein (MHV) types according to Marcos classification and venous types of Ⅳb segment according to Nakamura classification. Results The branching pattern of MHV was divided into 3 types: Type Ⅰ and Ⅱwere relatively more accounting for 44.0% （48/109）, 37.6% （41/109）, and type Ⅲ was fewest 〔18.3% （20/109）〕. There were no significant differences in volume of whole liver, volume of left liver or left liver/total liver volume ratio among various types of MHV of the donor (Pgt;0.05). Ⅳb vein was also divided into 3 types: The most common was type Ⅰ, accounting for 72.4% (79/109); Type Ⅱ 〔12.8% （14/109）〕, type Ⅲ 〔14.7% （16/109）〕 were relatively fewer. At last, 37 donors provided right liver, for Marcos Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ type of donors, donors remained with MHV was 12/17, 8/11, and 5/9; for Nakamura Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ type of donors, those number were 16/26, 4/6, and 5/5. Conclusion In adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation, there may be great significances in accordance with Marcos and Nakamura typing results to harvest right lobe liver graft with or without MHV.
Objective To analyze the effect of monitoring and modulating the portal vein pressure and blood flow during living donor liver transplantation （LDLT） on preventing small-for-size-syndrome (SFSS). Methods Data of forty-four LDLT recipients between Oct.2007 and Oct.2008 were reviewed. Actual graft-to-recipient weight ratio（GRWR）, portal vein flow and pressure during operation and syndrome of SFSS after operation were recorded. The patients received splenectomy or splenic artery ligation according to actual GRWR, portal vein flow and pressure and WBC. Relationships between patients’ GRWR, portal vein flow, portal vein pressure and occurrence of SFSS were analyzed. Results Six patients received splenectomy and 7 patients received splenic artery ligation to decrease the portal vein flow and pressure during the operation. The portal vein flow and pressure decreased after splenectomy （Plt;0.05）. The portal vein pressure decreased （Plt;0.05） and the portal vein flow had no significant change after splenic artery ligation （P＞0.05）. No SFSS occurred after operation. Conclusion Modulation of portal vein flow and pressure by splenectomy or splenic artery ligation during LDLT operation can decrease the portal vein flow and pressure, and which can prevent the incidence of SFSS.