Intensive therapy of acute hepatic insufficiency in dogs by heterotopic liver allotransplant.

The efficacy of heterotopic liver transplantation to support life and to correct metabolic disturbances in the presence of acute hepatic failure was tested in 70 dogs. Acute hepatic failure was induced by two-stage ischaemic damage to the animals' livers and by biliary obstruction. The donor liver was stored for 3 h by the method of intermittent perfusion. The graft was placed in the right paravertebral gutter. The inflow was arterial only. No immunosuppressive agents were administered. During the postoperative period the main biochemical indices decreased and returned to almost normal values by the fourth day. The auxiliary liver was able to correct the clotting of blood. There was significant regression of encephalopathy, which was confirmed by encephalographic monitoring. Special attention was paid to the adaptation of the stored graft after revascularization. Resuscitation from hepatic failure and subsequent survival of transplanted animals confirmed the significant therapeutic effect of heterotopic allotransplant.