Application of Proximal Splenic Vein Embolization to Interrupt Complicated Large Splenorenal Shunts in Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of proximal splenic vein embolization (PSVE) for liver transplant recipients having complicated large splenorenal shunts (SRS).

BACKGROUND

In adult living donor liver transplantation for a patient who has large splenorenal shunts (SRS), their interruption is utmost important to maintain adequate portal flow by avoidance of portal flow steal through the preexisting SRS. We effectively managed most of the recipients with surgical ligation and/or additional radiologic embolization using by intraoperative cine-portogram. However, when complete interruption is not achieved in a few recipients having complicated large SRS, it may leave a chance of lethal portal flow steal in the recipient afterward.

METHODS

PSVE was performed in 13 patients between April 2014 and November 2017. We performed a retrospective analysis of preoperative images, postoperative graft and recipient outcomes, and presence of isolated portal hypertension.

RESULTS

Ten patients underwent PSVE as an additional secondary method because of portal steal syndrome through the remaining SRS after surgical interruption and/or embolization, and 3 patients underwent PSVE only as a primary method of SRS interruption. In all 13 patients, portal steal on the final intraoperative cine-portogram completely disappeared after PSVE. All patients recovered with satisfactory regeneration of the partial liver graft without the reappearance of portosystemic collaterals, and there were no procedure-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

PSVE is an effective and safe procedure to secure adequate portal flow without portal steal for patients with complicated large SRS arising from multiple sites of the splenic vein or escaping to multiple terminal ends.