Liberal Use of Interposition Grafts for Arterial Reconstruction Is Safe and Effective in Adult Split Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND

Split liver transplantation (SLT) addresses donor shortages by providing 2 partial grafts from a single donor liver. Arterial reconstruction using an interposition graft facilitates the use of split grafts with difficult recipient anatomy. Its use, however, remains controversial because of a reported increased risk of complications.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the prospectively maintained Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit database was performed. Donor, recipient, operative, and complications data for adults receiving an SLT between July 2002 and November 2019 were extracted.

RESULTS

Arterial reconstruction required an interposition graft in 46 of 155 patients. Overall graft and patient survival were not significantly different between the groups with 1-, 3-, and 5-y graft survivals of 82%, 77%, and 69% for those with interposition grafts and 86%, 79%, and 77% for those without interposition grafts, respectively ( = 0.499). There were more cut liver bile leaks in the interposition graft group (26% versus 9%,  = 0.004), but otherwise, no significant differences in the rate of biliary complications (39% versus 29%  = 0.200), hepatic artery thrombosis (7% versus 10%,  = 0.545), or hepatic artery stenosis (13% versus 10%,  = 0.518).

CONCLUSIONS

Liberal use of interposition grafts for arterial reconstruction in SLT is safe and does not result in increased complications.