【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 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.
Objective To investigate the dynamic changes of postoperative liver reserve function and laboratory liver function as well as liver volume regeneration, and their potential relationship with short-term clinical outcomes after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methods The data of 30 recipients underwent LDLT were prospectively collected. The plasma clearance (K) by indocyanine green (ICG) excretive test, liver function test by laboratory methods, liver volume by CT and shortterm (lt;3 months) complications were analyzed. Results The graft recipient body weight ratio (GRBW) was 0.63%-1.43%. The hepatic volume of the recipients in the operation was (638±103) ml, which was smaller than that day 7, 30, and 90 after operation (Plt;0.001), but the hepatic volume at subsequent time point was not different from that at the former time point (Pgt;0.05). The KICG values of recipients among the day 3 〔(0.177±0.056)/min〕, 7 〔(0.183±0.061)/min〕, 30 〔(0.200±0.049)/min〕, and 90 〔(0.209±0.050)/min〕 after operation gradually increased, which was respectively higher than that of recipients before operation (P=0.006, P=0.002, Plt;0.001, and Plt;0.001). Compared with the baseline KICG 〔(0.228±0.036)/min〕 of the donors, the KICG of recipients showed significant variation on day 3 and 7 after operation (P=0.004 and P=0.015), and the KICG of recipients on day 30 and 90 after operation approached the baseline KICG (P=0.355 and P=0.915). The recipients were divided into good liver function group (n=23) and poor liver function group (n=7) according to total serum bilirubin on day 14 after operation. The KICG significantly dropped compared with the recipients of good liver function group on day 3 after operation (P=0.001). Conclusions The liver volume regenerates dramatically on day 7 after operation for the recipients. The ICG excretivetest shows that volume recovery occurs much more gradually than the recovery of function in the recipients. The ICG excretive test is a more reliable indicator of graft function and subsequent graft outcome early after LDLT.
【Abstract】ObjectiveThe growing gap between the number of patients waiting for transplantation and available organs has continued to be the number one issue facing the transplant community. The major limitation of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is the adequacy of the graft size. But donor safety is the major concern in LDLT. Methods Two patients with end-stage liver disease were successfully performed adult-to-adult LDLT using dual grafts in our division. One patient’s donors are left lobe and left lobe from his two old sisters , respectively. The other graft are right lobe from his 56 years-old mother and left lobe splitting from a cadaveric organ donor (the other part of split-liver transplants from the the cadaveric organ donor offer to another adult donor ). Results Both recipients and three donors display good graft function and normal triangularshape regeneration of their liver grafts after liver transplantation. There was neither a mortality nor a serious complications in the donors. Conclusion The critical issue of LDLT is donor morbidity. Dual grafts from two living donors can help to alleviate the problem of small-for-size grafts and yet secure the safety of the donor. But the complicated surgical technique give a great challenge for liver transplant surgeons.
Objective To analyze the risk factors associated with fungal infections in adult recipients after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methods Data of 189 recipients from January 2006 to December 2012 who received LDLT at our center were retrospectively analyzed. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for postoperative fungal infections. Results Postoperative fungal infection was found in 12 recipients. The most common infectious site was lung, whereas the most common fungal pathogen was Candida albicans. Multivariate analysis suggested preoperative low albumin level [HR=0.792, 95%CI (0.694, 0.903), P=0.001], massive intraoperative red blood cell transfusion [HR=4.322, 95%CI (1.308, 14.277), P=0.016] and longer postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) stay [HR=3.399, 95%CI (1.004, 11.506), P=0.049] were the independent risk factors for postoperative fungal infections. Conclusions Lung is the most common fungal infection site after LDLT. Preoperative low albumin level, massive intraoperative red blood cell transfusion and longer postoperative ICU contribute to fungal infections after LDLT.
ObjectiveTo evaluate donor safety in living donor liver transplantation. MethodsThe clinical data of 356 donors underwent living liver donation in our center from January 2001 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into pre-2008 group(before January 2008) and post-2008 group(after January 2008). The donor safety was evaluated with regard to three aspects, i.e. complications, liver function, and quality of life. Results①There was no donor death in our center.②The overall complications rate was 23.3%(83/356). The proportion of ClavienⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, andⅣcomplications was 50.6%(42/83), 26.5%(22/83), 21.7%(18/83), and 1.2%(1/83), respectively. In all the donors, the incidence of ClavienⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, andⅣcomplications was 11.8%(42/356), 6.2%(22/356), 5.1%(18/356), and 0.3%(1/356), respectively. The overall complications rate in the post-2008 group was significantly lower than that in the pre-2008 group〔18.1%(41/227) versus 32.6%(42/129), P < 0.01〕. The most common complication was the biliary complication with an incidence of 8.4%(30/356).③The postoperative liver dysfunction was transient and generally retur-ned to normal level within a week.④The donor's quality of life was generally satisfied as assessed by the SF-36 tool, and 94.8%(239/252) of them would donate again if necessary. ConclusionEver improving surgical and anesthetic techniques, together with strict donor selection and specialized perioperative management, could guarantee a low donor morbidity and a satisfactory long-term prognosis.