Experience with Microsurgical Reconstruction of the Hepatic Artery in 100 Living Donor Liver Transplantation.
10.4285/jkstn.2010.24.4.284
- Author:
Min Su KIM
1
;
Young Seok HAN
;
Dong Lak CHOI
;
Joo Dong KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Deagu, Korea. hyskhk@cu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Living donors;
Liver transplantation;
Hepatic artery;
Thrombosis;
Microsurgery;
Reconstructive surgical procedures
- MeSH:
Aneurysm, False;
Arteries;
Gastroepiploic Artery;
Hepatic Artery;
Humans;
Liver;
Liver Transplantation;
Living Donors;
Microscopy;
Microsurgery;
Reconstructive Surgical Procedures;
Saphenous Vein;
Thrombosis;
Transplants
- From:The Journal of the Korean Society for Transplantation
2010;24(4):284-288
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: In living-donor-liver transplantation, microsurgical reconstruction of the hepatic artery is essential and this is challenging issue because of the small diameter of the vessels in the partial liver graft. We present our experiences for hepatic arterial reconstruction with focusing on the technical aspects. METHODS: Methods: From May 2005 through December 2009, 100 patients received right hemiliver grafts (n=86) or left hemiliver grafts (n=14). Hepatic artery anastomosis was performed using microsurgical techniques. All the anastomoses were successfully accomplished by a single transplantation surgeon who worked under a microscope. Our classical method for arterial reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) consists of the interrupted end-to-end anastomosis between the hepatic artery of the graft and the most accessible hepatic artery of the recipient. RESULTS: We could confirm the patency of the reconstructed artery during the early post-transplantation period. Ninety five patients had the hepatic arteries reconstructed by the conventional twist technique. We used the right gastroepiploic artery in one patient because of the intimal dissection of the hepatic artery, and we used an interposition graft, with using the greater saphenous vein, in 2 patients. technical complication was occurred in only 1 patient. The hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm was confirmed at 4 weeks after transplantation. Arterial steal syndrome was detected in 2 patients and this was treated by angiographic techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Meticulous intraoperative microsurgical techniques and careful postoperative evaluation are very important in the hepatic artery reconstruction of LDLT. An experienced transplantation microscopy surgeon is also needed for creating safe anastomosis and achieving a lower complication rate.
