Vascular complications after liver transplantation in pediatric patients

Vascular complications are the major cause of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation, particularly in pediatric patients, owing to their smaller vascular diameters. Between September 2001 and June 2004, among 21 (16 boys and 5 girls) pediatric liver transplantations of mean age 8.3 +/- 5.1 years, hepatic arterial thrombosis (HAT) was diagnosed in 2 (9.5%) patients, and hepatic arterial stenosis (HAS) in 4 (19.4%). Vascular patency was evaluated with Doppler ultrasonography every 12 hours in the first postoperative week and daily in the second postoperative week. When occlusion was suspected, conventional angiography was performed. Thrombectomy was performed in one patient, and thrombectomy and reanastomosis were performed in another patient with HAT. Two patients with HAS were treated with balloon angioplasty. A third patient was treated with balloon angioplasty and endoluminal stent placement at the same time. The last patient with HAS had an intimate dissection, which occurred 24 hours after balloon angioplasty, that was treated with subsequent endoluminal stent placement. Mean follow-up for the patients with vascular complications was 9.5 +/- 5.7 months (range, 4 to 18 months). The overall mortality rate was 14.1% (3/21); however, no deaths were caused by vascular complication. Routine Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation is an effective choice for diagnosing vascular complications seen after liver transplantation. Immediate surgical intervention is required for acute vascular complications, whereas late complications may be treated with balloon angioplasty and/or endoluminal stent placement.     

Vascular complications arising from maldeployed stents

The authors present 6 unusual vascular complications secondary to maldeployed or undeployed vascular stents. They retrospectively reviewed patients referred for complications of vascular stent placement from September 1998 to March 1999. Information on patient history was obtained from a computerized database and clinical document file. Radiographic information was obtained from arteriograms, ultrasound, and computed tomography imaging. Case 1 describes an undeployed stent in the superior mesenteric artery with subsequent thrombosis in addition to celiac occlusion secondary to attempted balloon angioplasty. Case 2 refers to a malpositioned stent placed in the aortic arch and proximal left common carotid artery. Case 3 involves an undeployed coronary stent that migrated to the right distal posterior tibial artery, causing vascular occlusion and chronic pain. In Case 4, an attempted stent placement into the left iliac artery resulted in an undeployed stent lodged across the aortic bifurcation. Case 5 illustrates a partially deployed stent occluding the left renal artery that was unamenable to further angioplasty. Case 6 demonstrates arterial dissection with a pseudoaneurysm following stent placement for right subclavian stenosis. Five patients required operative intervention. Increased use of stents may escalate the number of complications requiring operative intervention. Foreign bodies can migrate distally and potentiate thrombotic occlusion of vessels. Caution must be used not only at the time of deployment but also in the follow-up period. Continued surveillance becomes important after vascular stent placement.     

Vascular complications in hepatic transplantation: single-center experience in 14 years

Purpose

To evaluate the spectrum of liver transplantation-related vascular complications that occurred in a single center over the past 14 years.

Materials and methods

Vascular complications and their clinical outcomes were reviewed among 744 liver transplant recipients. All patients underwent Doppler ultrasound with findings correlated with conventional or computed tomography angiography (CTA) in 111 patients.

Results

Among 70 recipients with vascular complications (%0.9), 14/26 patients with hepatic artery thrombosis underwent thrombectomy and arterial reanastomosis; six were retransplanted and six died. Among hepatic artery stenoses, three of nine were treated with balloon angioplasty and six underwent reanastomosis. Among 20 portal vein thromboses, 16 underwent thrombectomy, two patients retransplantation and two died. Seven patients with portal vein stenosis were followed. Two of six hepatic vein stenosis were restored with balloon angioplasty and three patients with metallic stent placement; the one other died. One patient with hepatic vein thrombosis died while the other patient was retransplanted.

Conclusion

Transplantation related hepatic vascular complications diagnosed and managed in timely fashion showed a low mortality rate in our series.     

Stent placement in pediatric patients with hepatic artery stenosis or thrombosis after liver transplantation

Hepatic artery stenosis (HAS) and thrombosis (HAT) after orthotopic liver transplantation remain significant causes of graft loss. Postoperative HAT follows approximately 5% to 19% of orthotopic liver transplantation. It is seen more frequently in pediatric patients. In the past, repeat transplantation was considered the first choice for therapy. Recently, interventional radiological techniques, such as thrombolysis, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, or stent placement in the hepatic artery, have been suggested, but little data exist related to stent placement in the thrombosed hepatic artery during the early postoperative period in pediatric patients. Between March 2000 and March 2005, percutaneous endoluminal stent placement was performed in seven pediatric liver transplant patients. HAT or HAS initially diagnosed in all cases by Doppler ultrasound then confirmed angiographically. We intervened in four cases of hepatic artery stenosis and three cases of hepatic artery occlusion. Stents were placed in all patients. Three ruptures were seen during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the hepatic artery using a covered coronary stents on the first, fifth day, or 17th postoperative day. In one patient, dissection of the origin of the common hepatic artery developed owing to a guiding sheath, and a second stent was placed to cover the dissected segment. The other two hepatic artery stents remained patent. In one stent became occluded at 3 months after the intervention with no clinical problems. Follow-up ranged from 9 to 40 months. In conclusion, early and late postoperative stent placement in the graft hepatic artery was technically feasible.     

原位肝移植术后血管并发症的诊断与治疗：附4例临床报告

介绍４例肝术后智力这并发症。其中慢性肝动脉血栓形成１例,腹腔动脉狭窄１例,２例分别在术后第１８天及第５７天死于肝功能衰竭及上消化道出血;下腔静脉狭窄２例,经下腔静脉气囊扩张及放置内支架后,１例于移植后第１４天死于脑出血,另我例恢复顺利,现已存活１６０天,结合文献复习,对肝移植术后血管并发症的诊断及处理进行了讨论。     

肝移植术后肝动脉并发症的介入治疗

目的评价介入治疗对肝移植术后肝动脉并发症的价值。方法回顾性分析我院2001年10月—2010年3月对21例肝移植术后肝动脉并发症患者进行介入治疗的资料。结果 21例患者中,肝动脉狭窄16例,对其中14例成功植入肝动脉支架15枚,另2例未予治疗;肝动脉血栓2例,对1例行动脉溶栓治疗,1例行二次肝移植;肝动脉假性动脉瘤3例,对其中1例行血管内栓塞治疗,1例伴有肝动脉吻合口狭窄者行血管内支架植入,1例转为外科手术治疗。结论介入治疗肝移植后肝动脉部分并发症是安全、有效的临床治疗方法。     

肝移植术后并发症的介入治疗

目的评价肝移植术后多种并发症的介入治疗。方法回顾性的分析肝移植术后出现各种并发症并进行介入治疗的82例患者,胆管病变62例;肝动脉病变8例;下腔静脉病变13例;肝静脉狭窄7例;门静脉病变9例。胆管并发症采用经T管置入引流管、经皮肝穿刺胆管行胆汁引流或球囊扩张术。球囊扩张成形术或(和)金属支架植入术处理血管狭窄的患者;局部溶栓治疗用于术后血管内血栓形成的病例。结果在胆管并发症患者中,41例经T管置入引流管,34例行经皮穿刺胆汁引流(PTBD),球囊扩张胆道成形术9例。3例肝动脉狭窄的患者接受了球囊扩张成形术或支架植入术,1例肝动脉形成血栓者行插管溶栓,效果良好。9例下腔静脉狭窄患者行支架植入术,1例接受了球囊扩张成形术。5例肝静脉狭窄患者接受了球囊扩张成形术或支架治疗。门静脉狭窄患者中6例接受支架治疗,1例门脉血栓形成行局部溶栓,治疗不满意。结论介入治疗是处理肝移植术后胆管和血管并发症不可或缺的临床治疗方法。     

Influence of systematic echodoppler arterial survey on hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation in adults

Abstract Hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation remains a major problem which may lead to graft loss and retransplantation. Hepatic artery diseases were compared in two matched groups of liver grafted patients. In Group I (67 patients), echodoppler examinations of the graft hepatic artery were carried out after clinical or biological abnormalities became evident. In Group II (85 patients), echodoppler examinations were systematically made during the follow-up at 2 weeks, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after liver transplantation. In cases of an abnormal echodoppler examination, arteriography was carried out in order to confirm hepatic artery stenosis and to perform endoluminal angioplasty. In Group I, echodoppler examinations revealed no arterial blood flow in three cases and reduction of hepatic blood flow in two cases. Hepatic artery thromboses were always confirmed by angiography, in the latter two cases, a collateral arterial revascularization of the graft was developed. In this group, two retransplantations, one choledocojejunostomy, and four percutaneous radiological biliary drainages were necessary. In Group II, echodoppler results showing a resistive index below 0.5 and a systolic acceleration time above 0.08 s involved 13 arteriographies. Ten stenoses were diagnosed without any biological abnormalities. Nine endoluminal angioplasties were made without any complication. There was no recurrence of stenosis. One pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery was cured by compression. The early and non-aggressive detection of hepatic artery stenoses after liver transplantation by echodoppler allows treatment by angioplasty in order to prevent hepatic artery thrombosis and reduce retransplantation.     

人体原位肝脏移植术后胆道与血管并发症的放射介入治疗

目的 评估放射介入治疗在人体原位肝脏移植病人术后胆道与血管并发症中的应用价值。方法 回顾性分析自1999年1月至2001年4月我院连续实施的48例人体原位肝脏移植的临床资料，总结放射介入技术治疗术后胆道与血管并发症的实施体会。结果 术后经T管胆道造影术及核磁共振胆胰管成像（MRCP）证实，3例病人存在胆道狭窄，其中2例为肝门部胆管与肝总管狭窄，1例为吻合口处胆管狭窄，共实施经T管窦道选择性球囊扩张术6例次，胆道狭窄得以改善，肝功能好转。术后经彩色多普勒超声、核磁共振血管造影（MRA）及静脉造影证实，2例病人存在肝上下腔静脉狭窄与门静脉吻合口狭窄，分别实施肝上下腔静脉狭窄段球囊扩张术1例次，肝上下腔静脉内支架置入术2例次、门静脉内支架置入术1例次。放射介入治疗后，影像学检查显示血管狭窄基本消失，病人肝功能明显好转、腹水显著减少、尿量增加。5例中最长1例健康存活至今已超过19个月。结论 肝脏主后应常规联合应用胆道造影术和MRCP了解胆树全貌，彩色多普勒超声和MRA监测血管血流动力学，以尽早诊断胆道和血管并发症；及时果断采用正确的放射介入技术处理胆道与血管并发症可取得良好疗效。     

肝移植手术相关并发症的防治

目的总结和探讨原位肝移植手术相关并发症发生的原因、预防及治疗。方法对1993年4月至2004年12月所实行的647例次原位肝移植患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果肝移植手术后共发生并发症73例,发生率11．3％（73／647）,包括血管并发症39例（6．0％,39／647）,其中肝动脉23例（3．6％）,门静脉6例（0．9％）,腔静脉10例（1．5％）,其中腔静脉并发症均发生在非腔静脉整形患者;放置内支架治疗肝动脉狭窄2例,均成功;肝动脉血栓形成者行再次移植治疗,成功率为4／6,再血管化和气囊扩张成功率分别为3／7和2／7;放置内支架治疗门静脉吻合口狭窄和腔静脉狭窄的成功率为3／3和10／10。发生胆道并发症34例（5．3％）,其中放置T管患者发生胆道并发症27例,未放置T管患者7例,两组吻合口胆漏、胆道狭窄和感染的发生率比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。结论传统背驮式肝移植术能有效预防腔静脉并发症的发生;放置内支架技术治疗血管狭窄性病变效果好;早期肝动脉血栓形成应采取再次肝移植;确保供肝胆道系统的血供是减少胆道并发症的关键;不放置T管的胆管端端吻合术,是胆道重建的首选术式。     

Application of interventional radiology for stenosis of vascular anastomosis in living-donor liver transplantation

Stenosis of vascular anastomosis is a significant complication leading to graft loss after liver transplantation. For the diagnosis of portal vein stenosis, clinical signs of portal hypertension such as ascites and thrombocytopenia, stenosis and/or poststenotic dilatation on ultrasonography (US), and jet flow, rambling, or scarcity flow of the intrahepatic portal vein on Doppler US are useful. Three-dimensional computed tomography is used to confirm the indications for interventional radiography (IVR) to treat portal stenosis. For the diagnosis of hepatic vein stenosis, clinical signs such as ascites and slight jaundice, dilatation and stenosis on US, and reduced flow with a flat wave form of the intrahepatic portal vein on Doppler US are useful. The percutaneous transcaval approach is safer than the percutaneous transhepatic approach for patients with ascites. The requirement for multiple procedures could be a good indication for stent placement before patients develop liver cirrhosis. For hepatic artery stenosis, percutaneous intraluminal angioplasty and stenting are possible and good results have been reported recently. However, the long-term results must be evaluated in the future. IVR can be safely and successfully applied to the treatment of vascular complications using balloon dilatation and/or stent placement techniques before graft dysfunction becomes irreversible.     

肝移植术后血管与胆管并发症的介入治疗

目的 评价介入方法诊断与治疗肝移植术后血管与胆管并发症的价值。方法对40例肝移植患者的相关资料进行回顾性分析。结果40例肝移植患者中有3例患者术后出现血管并发症，发病率为7．50％(3／40)，首发时间分别在术后4天、38天和80天。其中2例肝动脉狭窄植入支架，1例肝右动脉主干闭塞，但侧支循环形成未做治疗。2例患者术后出现胆总管吻合口狭窄，其中1例合并吻合口漏，发病率为5．00％(2／40)，首发时间分别在术后68天和100天。经皮肝穿胆道造影诊断后1例行内外引流，1例先行球囊扩张后植入胆道支架，黄疸均减轻。结论介入放射技术对于肝移植术后胆管与血管并发症的诊治具有很大价值。     

Late infected pseudoaneurysm formation after uneventful iliac artery stent placement

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and endovascular stent placement are becoming common techniques for iliac artery stenosis and obstruction that are intended to reduce the need for surgical bypass procedures. The usual complications include acute or subacute thrombosis, distal embolization, dissection, and extravasation. Although stent infection is very rare after stent replacement, it is reportedly associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality, and the use of prophylactic antibiotics should be considered. We present a case of rupture of an infected pseudoaneurysm at the site of the external iliac artery that occurred 4 months after an uneventful percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement.     

肝移植术后肝动脉并发症的治疗

目的 探讨肝移植术后肝动脉并发症治疗方式与时机的选择.方法 总结2003年10月至2007年3月中山大学附属第三医院肝脏移植中心25例肝移植术后肝动脉并发症的临床资料,分析介入溶栓、经皮腔内血管成形(PTA)、支架植入和再次肝移植对肝动脉并发症预后的影响.结果 本组患者肝移植术后肝动脉血栓形成(hepatic artery thrombosis,HAT)5例,2例患者因肝功能衰竭行再移植治疗,术后均存活;3例接受介入溶栓治疗后,1例肝功能恢复正常,1例死亡,1例再次出现HAT,并再次移植术后因多器官功能衰竭死亡.术后1个月内出现肝动脉狭窄(hepatic arterystenosis,HAS)者12例,因肝功能衰竭行再移植2例;支架植入10例(治疗后因胆道缺血性改变行再移植4例);6例再移植患者存活4例,因颅内出血和感染死亡2例.术后1个月后出现HAS者8例,行肝动脉支架植入5例,肝功能好转.因胆道缺血性改变接受再移植1例.另外2例行保守治疗,情况稳定未作处理.结论 肝移植术后肝动脉并发症的治疗应根据并发症采用个体化的治疗方案.HAT的治疗以再次肝移植为主,HAS以介入治疗为主,一旦出现胆道缺血性改变,应及时行再次肝移植.     

肝移植术后肝动脉狭窄的内支架治疗

目的 对内支架植入术治疗肝移植术后肝动脉狭窄的价值进行初步的探讨。方法 对34例肝移植发生肝动脉狭窄、闭塞患者行球囊扩张治疗，其中5例患者接受内支架植入治疗，3例为球囊扩张治疗无效患者，1例为球囊扩张后出现肝动脉内膜撕裂，另1例为肝动脉狭窄伴吻合口破裂出血。结果 5例患者均成功进行了内支架植入治疗，其中1例肝动脉狭窄伴吻合口破裂出血的患者植入支架后24h内发生支架内急性血栓形成，经手术行肝动脉重建治疗，其余4例术后治疗效果良好。结论 介入方法治疗肝移植术后肝动脉狭窄具有微创、安全、有效的优势，对于球囊扩张治疗无效或合并吻合口破裂出血的病例，可采用内支架植入治疗。     

肝移植术后肝动脉病变的介入治疗的临床应用价值

目的：评价介入治疗在肝移植术后肝动脉并发症治疗中的价值及疗效。
　　方法：回顾性分析2006年1月—2012年1月期间49例怀疑肝移植术后肝动脉并发症的患者的诊断与治疗以及随访资料。
　　结果：肝动脉造影共检出肝动脉并发症26例。肝动脉狭窄21例,其中6例轻中度狭窄未处理;15例为重度狭窄给予肝动脉支架置入术,3例随访期间发现支架再狭窄。假性动脉瘤形成2例,其中1例行覆膜支架置入术,封堵良好;1例行支架辅助弹簧圈栓塞术,复查造影显示肝动脉闭塞,随访期至1.5个月时出现广泛胆道坏死,行经皮肝穿胆汁引流术。肝动脉血栓形成3例,其中1例溶栓后随访23个月未出现血栓形成;1例动脉溶栓效果不佳者,介入治疗3d后接受了二次肝移植术;1例肝动脉闭塞但侧支循环已建立未给予治疗。
　　结论：介入治疗能有效地解除肝移植术后多种肝动脉并发症,在保证肝移植手术成功、延长患者生存方面具有一定的应用价值。     

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement for recurrent carotid artery stenosis

OBJECT: Treatment consisting of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent placement has recently been proposed as an alternative to surgical reexploration in patients with recurrent carotid artery stenosis following endarterectomy. The authors retrospectively reviewed their experience after performing 25 procedures in 21 patients to assess the safety and efficacy of PTA with or without stent placement for carotid artery restenosis. METHODS: The mean interval between endarterectomy and the endovascular procedures was 57 months (range 8-220 months). Seven arteries in five patients were treated by PTA alone (including bilateral procedures in one patient and repeated angioplasty in the same vessel in another). Early suboptimum results and recurrent stenosis in some of these initial cases prompted the authors to combine PTA with stent placement in the treatment of 18 arteries over the past 3 years. No major periprocedural deficits (neurological or cardiac complications) or death occurred. There was one periprocedural transient neurological event, and in one patient a pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery (at the access site) required surgical repair. In the 16 patients who each underwent at least 6 months of follow-up review, no neurological events ipsilateral to the treated artery had occurred after a mean follow-up period of 27 months (range 6-57 months). Three of five patients who underwent PTA alone developed significant (>50%) asymptomatic restenoses that required repeated angioplasty in one and PTA with stent placement in two patients. Significant restenosis (55%) was observed in only one of the vessels treated by combined angioplasty and stent placement. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular PTA and stenting of recurrent carotid artery stenosis is both technically feasible and safe and has a satisfactory midterm patency. This procedure can be considered a viable alternative to surgical reexploration in patients with recurrent carotid artery stenosis.     

Recurrent stenosis of common carotid-intracranial internal carotid interposition saphenous vein bypass graft caused by intimal hyperplasia and treated with endovascular stent placement. Case report and review of the literature

Intimal hyperplasia is a well-known cause of delayed stenosis in vein bypass grafts in all types of vascular surgery. Options for treatment of stenosis in peripheral and coronary artery bypass grafts include revision surgery and the application of endovascular techniques such as balloon angioplasty and stent placement. The authors present a case of stenosis caused by intimal hyperplasia in a high-flow common carotid artery-intracranial internal carotid artery (IICA) saphenous vein interposition bypass graft that had been constructed to treat a traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the intracavernous ICA. The stenosis recurred after revision surgery and was successfully treated by endovascular stent placement in the vein graft. The literature on stent placement for vein graft stenoses is reviewed, and the authors add a report of its application to external carotid-internal carotid bypass grafts. Further study is required to define the role of endovascular techniques in the management of stenotic cerebrovascular disease.     

Staged stent-assisted angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis

OBJECT: Medically refractory symptomatic vertebrobasilar atherosclerotic disease has a poor prognosis. Studies have shown that longer (> or = 10 mm), eccentric, high-grade (> 70%) stenoses portend increased procedure-related morbidity. The authors reviewed their experience to determine whether a staged procedure consisting of angioplasty followed by delayed (> or = 1 month later) repeated angioplasty and stent placement reduces the morbidity associated with endovascular treatment of symptomatic basilar and/or intracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenoses. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records in a consecutive series of eight patients who underwent planned stent-assisted angioplasty for medically refractory, symptomatic atherosclerotic disease of the intracranial posterior circulation between February 1999 and January 2002. Staged stent-assisted angioplasty was planned for these patients because the extent and degree of stenosis of the VA and/or basilar artery (BA) lesion portended an excessive procedure-related risk. The degree of stenosis, recent onset of symptoms (unstable plaque), vessel tortuosity, and lesion length and morphological feaures were contributing factors in determining procedure-related risk. Patient records were analyzed for location and degree of stenosis, preprocedural regimen of antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation agents, devices used, procedure-related complications, and clinical and radiographic outcomes. Among the patients in whom staged stent-assisted angioplasty was planned, vessel dissection, which necessitated immediate stent placement, occurred during passage of the balloon in one of them. In a second patient, the stent could not be maneuvered through the tortuous VA. In a third patient, the VA and BAs remained widely patent after angioplasty alone, and therefore stent placement was not required. Significant complications among the eight patients included transient aphasia and hemiparesis in one and a groin hematoma that necessitated surgical intervention in another; there was no permanent neurological morbidity. The mean stenosis before treatment was 78%, which fell to 54% after angioplasty, and the mean residual stenosis after stent placement was 30%. At the last follow-up examination, none of the treated patients had further symptoms attributable to the treated stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: The novel combination of initial angioplasty followed by delayed endoluminal stent placement may reduce the neurological morbidity associated with endovascular treatment of long, high-grade stenotic lesions. Attempting to cross high-grade stenoses with higher-profile devices such as stents may result in an embolic shower. Furthermore, neointimal proliferation and scar formation after angioplasty result in a thickened fibrous layer, which may be protective during delayed stent deployment. Larger-scale studies involving multiple centers are needed to elucidate further the lesion morphological characteristics and patient population most likely to benefit from staged procedures.     

Surgical techniques and innovations in living related liver transplantation.

The authors successfully performed a series of 33 living related liver transplantations (LRLT) on children (15 males and 18 females, ranging from 7 months to 15 years of age) from June 1990 to May 1992, with the informed consent of their parents and the approval of the Ethics Committee of Kyoto University. Before operation, six of the children required intensive care, another 14 were hospitalized, and 13 were homebound. Donors (12 paternal and 21 maternal) were selected solely from the parents of the recipients on the basis of ABO blood group and graft/recipient size matching determined by computed tomography scanning. Procurement of graft was performed using ultrasonic aspirator and bipolar electrocautery without blood vessel clamping and without graft manipulation. All donors subsequently had normal liver function and returned to normal life. The left lateral segment (16 cases), left lobe (16 cases), or right lobe (one case) were used as grafts. The partial liver graft was transplanted into the recipient who underwent total hepatectomy with preservation of the inferior vena cava using a vascular side clamp. Twenty-seven of 33 recipients are alive and well with the original graft and have normal liver function. The patient survival rate was 89% (24/27) in elective cases and 50% (3/6) in emergent cases. The other six recipients had functioning grafts but died of extrahepatic complications. Complications of the graft were minimal in all cases. Hepatic vein stenosis, which occurred three times in two cases, was successfully treated by balloon dilatation. In cases with sclerotic portal vein, the authors anastomosed the portal vein of the graft to the confluence of the splenic vein and the superior mesenteric vein without a vascular graft, after experiencing a case of vascular graft thrombosis. After hepatic artery thrombosis occurred in one of the initial seven recipients whose arterial anastomosis was done with surgical loupe, microsurgery was introduced for hepatic artery reconstruction. There has been no occurrence of thrombosis since then. The current results with LRLT suggested that the meticulous management of surgical factors at each stage of the LRLT procedure is crucial for successful outcome. Living related liver transplantation is a promising option for resolving the graft shortage in pediatric liver transplantation and may be regarded as an independent modality to supplement cadaver donation.