【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.
Objective To investigate the clinical choice on graft size and the type of donor’s hepatectomy in adult living related partial liver transplantation. Methods The literatures in recent years on the donor’s evaluation, the size of liver grafts, the types of donor hepatectomy and safety of donor in adult living related partial liver transplantation were reviewed.Results The size of liver graft is a crucial factor related to the safety of donor and the prognosis of the recipient. GW/ESLW≥30%, GW/BW≥0.8% may be the lowest limits. Left lobe contained middle hepatic vein, extended left lobe with leftside caudle lobe, right lobe or extended right lobe contained middle hepatic vein may be the practical choice.Conclusion It is important to make a reasonable choice of liver graft according to the estimation of GW/ESLW or GW/BW, and the anatomy of liver in adult living related partial liver transplantation.
ObjectiveTo evaluate and summarize the perioperative management experience of living related liver transplantation (LRLT). MethodsA retrospective analysis was made in perioperative management of 13 cases undergoing LRLT (15 times operation, including 2 cases of liver retransplantation) in our department from January 2001 to December 2002. ResultsAll the operations were successful. All the 13 donors were followed up regularly, 12 donors were uneventfully recovered after operation and 1 donor suffered from bile leakage due to T tube. The survival rate of recipients, who achieved longterm survival at 2 months to 2 years, was 92.3%(12/13); the survival rate of graft was 86.7%(13/15). One adult recipient with Wilson’s disease died of serious rejection on the 72nd day postoperatively. Two cases suffered from embolism of hepatic artery, one case received reduced size cadaveric liver retransplantation, the other case received liver retransplantation from cadaver, and they both achieved longterm survival after retransplantation. The other complications included: 1 case of serious rejection, 2 cases of ARDS, 6 cases of infection of microbe, 7 cases of serious hydrothorax, 1 cases of leakage of biliary tract, and so on. ConclusionPerfect preoperative management, which composes one of the key parts of LRLT, is critically important for both donor and recipient.
ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical progress on living related liver transplantation (LRLT). MethodsThe latest progress were reviewed based on recent documents and the experience on LRLT in our department. ResultsLRLT made much progress on evaluation of donor, harvesting the graft liver, donor health assessment and outcomes after living donor liver transplantation, and main factors affecting the survival of liver graft and so on. Conclusion Living related liver transplantation has many unsurpassable advantages, which suits the situation of China and has capacious clinical application.
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 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.
Objective To report our experience in living donor liver harvesting of right lobe grafts. MethodsThe data of 76 living donors of right lobe grafts hepatectomy between August 2007 and December 2008 were studied. Before operation, the graft size, remnant liver volume rate, fatty liver, middle hepatic vein type, and the level of portal hypertension of recipient were comprehensive assessed to determine whether harvested middle hepatic vein. The graft was harvested depending on the port vein and hepatic artery ischemia-line. B-ultrasound was used to definite the structure and branch of middle hepatic vein, and intraoperative cholangiography was performed to definite the structure and variation of bile duct. Donor operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, levels of bilirubin, international normalized ratio （INR）, and ALT, and complications after operation were recorded. Results All the operations were successful. The operative time was (8.3±1.3) h, the blood loss was (325±127) ml without blood transfusion in operation. The ALT, INR, and bilirubin recovered on the 12th day. The most common complication in early post-operation was wound infection in 5 cases, 4 cases had cholestasis, 4 cases occurred cross-section bile leakage, and 11 cases occurred varying degrees of delayed gastric emptying in 4～7 d after operation, who were all alleviated by corresponding treatments. The hospital stay was 9～21 d (median: 14 d) after operation. Conclusion Preoperative evaluation of the hepatic anatomy and precise surgical procedure are crucial, which will help the development of graft harvesting and rehabilitation of donor.