Vascular complications in living related liver transplantation detected with intraoperative and postoperative Doppler US.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to clarify changes in the graft hemodynamics induced by vascular complications in living related liver transplantation.

METHODS

This study included 46 pediatric recipients who underwent partial liver transplantation from living related donors. The blood flow was evaluated in the portal system, the hepatic artery and the hepatic vein with serial intra- and post-operative Doppler ultrasound (US).

RESULTS

In 12 patients, intraoperative Doppler US showed a decrease in portal venous inflow (< 9 ml.min-1.kg-1) toward the liver graft and could act as a guide for ligation of collaterals in seven patients, portal re-construction in two, thrombectomy in one and relief of hepatic venous outflow obstruction in two for increasing the portal venous inflow. In five patients, intraoperative Doppler US showed poor arterial inflow, i.e. dampened arterial waveforms which involved both low pulsatility index (< 0.90) and low peak-systolic velocity (< 31 cm/s). In three of them, the waveform was more pulsatile after re-anastomosis or relief from stretching of the hepatic artery. The remaining two patients developed hepatic artery thrombosis. Most of the hepatic venous outflow obstruction (four of five patients) had flat waveforms, low flow velocity (< 10 cm/s) of the hepatic vein, and poor portal inflow (flow velocity < 14 cm/s). Postoperative Doppler US showed hepatic venous outflow obstruction in three patients, hepatic artery thrombosis in three (twice in one patient), portal vein stenosis in two and portal vein thrombosis in one. These complications were successfully managed with surgical procedures in three patients, transhepatic angioplasty in three and conservative treatments in four. Six patients died of non-vascular complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Serial intra- and post-operative Doppler US was a useful technique for making an early diagnosis of abnormal hemodynamics of the graft circulation. Furthermore, intraoperative Doppler US could assess reconstructed vessels objectively and would reduce the incidence of vascular complications following transplantation.