Hepatic artery thrombosis and intraoperative hepatic artery flow rates in adult orthotopic liver transplantation

Introduction: Thrombosis of the hepatic artery following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) can be a devastating com­plication impacting on recipient outcome. The utility of routine intraoperative flow measurements of the hepatic artery in predicting subsequent hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is presented in this study. Methods: Data on all adult OLT recipients between July 1995 and May 2000 were analysed. This included the routine intra­operative flow measurements of both the hepatic artery and portal vein using a Doppler flow meter. Results: Thirteen out of 198 (6.6%) instances of OLT were complicated by HAT. The mean and median flow rates of the hepatic artery in the OLT with HAT were 262 mL/min and 220 mL/min, respectively. These were significantly lower than the respective values of 436 mL/min and 400 mL/min in the OLT without HAT (P = 0.0036). This was independent of recipient age, sex, weight and intraoperative portal flow rates. However there was extensive overlap for the intraoperative hepatic artery flow rates obtained between the HAT and non‐HAT groups. The risk of HAT was increased by a factor of 6 if the intraoperative hepatic artery flow rate was less than 200 mL/min. The average allograft survival was significantly lower in the HAT group at 373 days vs the non‐HAT group at 763 days (P = 0.026). Conclusion: The routine use of intraoperative flow measurements of the hepatic artery may be a useful adjunct in identifying the hepatic artery reconstruction, which is at risk of subsequent HAT.     

Outcome of hepatic artery reconstruction in liver transplantation with an iliac arterial interposition graft

BACKGROUND: In case of anomal hepatic arterial inflow, it can be necessary to perform revascularization of the liver allograft by iliac arterial interposition graft. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively 613 liver transplants in a 16-yr period. The hepatic artery (HA) graft group (n = 101) consisted of patients with arterial inflow based on recipient infrarenal aorta using donor iliac artery graft tunneled through the transverse mesocolon. The control group (n = 512) consisted of patients who underwent liver transplantation with routine HA reconstruction. RESULTS: Both groups are homogeneous and comparable. In case of retransplantation, arterial conduit with iliac graft was adopted more frequently instead of conventional arterial anastomosis (24.8% vs. 9%, p < 0.0001). The 1-, 3- and 5-yr overall survival was 85.41, 79.42, 76.57% in the control group and 76.21, 73.43, 73.43% in the HA graft group, respectively (p = ns). The 1-, 3- and 5-yr graft survival was better in the control group (81.51, 73.66, 69.22% vs. 71.17, 62.50, 53.42%) (p = 0.01). In case of retransplantation, the 1-, 3- and 5-yr overall (57.81, 53.95, 41.96% vs. 60, 51.95, 49.85%) and graft survival (57.52, 53.68, 41.75% vs. 56, 50.4, 40.3%) was similar in control and HA graft group, respectively (p = ns). Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) rate is 21.8% vs. 8.6% (p < 0.0001) in HA graft group and control group, respectively. The only factor independently predictive of early HAT resulted arterial conduit (p = 0.001, OR = 3.13, 95% CI: 1.57-6.21). Retransplant procedure, donor age and arterial iliac conduit were found to be a significant risk factors for late HAT, at univariate analysis. At multivariate analysis, donor age >50 yr old resulted the only factor independently associated with late HAT (p < 0.0001, OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07). CONCLUSION: Iliac arterial interpositional graft is an alternative solution for arterial revascularization of liver allograft in case of retransplantation when the use of HA is not possible. In case of primary transplantation, is better not to perform arterial conduit if it is possible, for poor graft survival and high incidence of early HAT, especially in case of liver donor aged over 50 yr.     

Continuous transcatheter arterial thrombolysis for early hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation

Early hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after orthotopic liver transplantation remains a significant cause of graft loss and patient death. The most effective treatment approach is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of continuous transcatheter arterial thrombolysis in the treatment of early HAT. Routine posttransplant color Doppler imaging (CDI) was performed to monitor hepatic artery blood flow. HAT was confirmed by arterial angiography in suspected cases. HAT was identified in 8 patients (8/287, 2.8%) which occurred on days 2 to 19 (mean, 5.2 days) after liver transplantation. Patients with HAT were treated with continuous transcatheter arterial thrombolysis using urokinase. Successful revascularization through thrombolysis was obtained in all eight cases. One patient died of a pulmonary infection at 2 months after liver transplantation. Another patient underwent retransplantation because of resistant allograft rejection and recurrence of HAT 6 months after the first operation, but died from multiple system organ failure 2 months later. The other six patients remained in good health during the follow-up period of 3 to 27 months. Our results demonstrate that CDI is an effective method to monitor the occurrence of early HAT after liver transplantation. Furthermore, continuous transcatheter arterial thrombolysis with urokinase could be a rational therapeutic approach to rescue the allograft following early HAT diagnosis confirmed by arterial angiography.     

活体肝移植术后早期肝动脉血栓形成的诊断与治疗

目的探讨活体肝移植术后早期肝动脉血栓形成的诊断与治疗。方法2006年9月至2009年8月天津市第一中心医院单一外科组共实施110例活体肝移植,移植术后7d内每日用彩色多普勒超声(彩超)监测肝动脉血流,怀疑肝动脉血栓形成行肝动脉造影或腹部CT检查,确诊者予介入治疗或手术治疗。结果该组3例术后5～6d发生肝动脉血栓,肝动脉血栓发生率2.7%(3/110)。其中1例再次手术行肝动脉取栓,术后血流正常;2例行介入治疗,放置支架,术后1例再次血栓形成,1例血流流速偏低,2例均发生胆道并发症,但肝功能正常。3例均存活。结论术后早期用彩超监测对肝动脉血栓的诊断至关重要,及时手术取栓或介入放置支架效果良好。     

成人肝移植术后早期肝动脉血栓形成的诊断与治疗

目的 探讨成人肝移植术后肝动脉血栓形成(hepatic artery thrombosis,HAT)的诊断与治疗,及其对患者预后的影响.方法 2007年6月至2010年10月我中心共实施成人尸体肝脏移植387例.术后采用床边彩色多普勒超声监测移植肝血流.疑有肝动脉血栓形成时,采用超声造影或肝动脉造影明确诊断,根据病情采用介入溶栓治疗、手术再血管化治疗及再次肝移植等治疗.结果 387例中术后共有10例患者发生HAT,发生率2.6％.发生HAT的中位时间为肝移植术后7(范围2～18)d.2例采用介入溶栓治疗,其中1例伴肝动脉狭窄放置支架,均痊愈;3例再次手术行肝动脉重建联合肝动脉局部溶栓治疗,其中1例术后再次出现HAT,死亡;2例行再次肝移植,痊愈;3例出现肝内脓肿,严重感染,肝功能恶化死亡.死亡率为40％(4/10).结论 肝移植术后常规彩色多普勒超声监测肝动脉血流是早期发现HAT的关键,超声造影及肝动脉造影可明确诊断;及时采用介入溶栓、手术再血管化及再次肝移植等治疗虽然可减少患者死亡,但预防HAT发生更为重要.     

原位肝移植术中肝动脉变异及术后肝动脉血栓形成的处理

目的探讨肝移植术中肝动脉变异及术后肝动脉血栓形成的处理。方法统计2000年8月至2002年12月期间进行肝移植术的67例次供、受者肝动脉的变异情况；分析肝动脉的重建方式，探讨肝动脉变异与手术后肝动脉血栓形成的关系、肝动脉血栓形成的危险因素及肝动脉血栓形成后的处理。结果67例次供者肝脏和65例受者肝脏共出现肝动脉变异12例次，发生频率最高的为右肝动脉起源于肠系膜上动脉(5例)及左肝动脉起源于胃左动脉(3例)。肝动脉的重建方式如下：供者及受者肝总动脉与胃十二指肠动脉分叉处成型后吻合58例；腹主动脉与肝动脉搭桥2例；利用变异的肝动脉分支吻合7例。手术后发生肝动脉血栓形成3例，均经腹股沟处股动脉插管行肝动脉溶栓治疗，此3例患者中死亡1例。结论避免变异的肝动脉损伤、选择适当的肝动脉吻合方式可以保证移植肝脏的动脉血供。肝动脉血栓形成与肝动脉变异无关。作为肝动脉血栓形成后的保守治疗方法，肝动脉内溶栓治疗有可能避免2次移植。     

Evaluation of Early and Late Effects of Surgical Treatment of Early Hepatic Artery Thrombosis After Liver Transplantation

BackgroundHepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is the most severe vascular complication after liver transplantation and one of the major causes of early graft loss and mortality after transplantation. The number of retransplantations and recipient deaths can be decreased with an urgent thrombectomy of the hepatic artery.The aim of the study was to analyze the early and long-term outcomes of the surgical revascularization of early hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation.MethodsFour hundred eleven orthotopic liver transplantations in 380 patients were performed at our center between 2005 and 2020. A Doppler evaluation of the graft vessels patency was performed daily for the first 5 days after transplantation in all recipients. After angio–computed tomography confirmation, most of the cases of HAT qualified for surgical revascularization.ResultsEarly HAT was diagnosed in 20 cases (4.9%), occurring most frequently between the first and third day after transplantation. Sixteen patients underwent revascularization surgery. Among them, in the early post-transplantation period, 4 died and 2 more had retransplantation. Of the remaining 10 recipients, 2 had no biliary complications, 1 had bile leakage, and 7 had common bile duct stenosis, all treated endoscopically. Among 4 nonoperated patients, 1 died and the other 2 had retransplantation in the early post-transplantation period; the last of these 4 recipients had bile duct stenosis.ConclusionsThe urgent surgical revascularization in liver recipients with early HAT allows the avoidance of early retransplantation. However, these patients require intensified surveillance owing to the high risk of biliary complications that may affect shortened graft and patient survival.     

成人肝移植中的肝动脉搭桥术——澳大利亚 Australia National Liver Transplant Unit的经验

目的 介绍澳大利亚国家肝移植中心在成人肝移植中应用肝动脉搭桥术的经验。方法 对澳大利亚国家肝移植中心（Australia National Liver Transplant Unit，ANLTU）1986—2003年的31例行肝动脉搭桥的成人肝移植结果进行回顾行分析。31例需行肝动脉搭桥的原因有微小受者肝动脉、肝动脉血栓症、肝门严重粘连、肝动脉壁间动脉瘤、真菌性肝动脉瘤及前次植入肝的肝动脉因胆道出血而结扎。18例为首次移植，13例为再次或多次肝移植。结果 术后15例（48．4％）存活，平均存活时间为4．1年，16例（51．6％）死亡，平均存活时间为34．56d。两次和多次肝移植者的死亡率为76．9％，首次肝移植者的死亡率为33．3％（P〈0．05）。因肝动脉血栓症而搭桥者的死亡率最高，其次为肝门严重粘连者。死亡原因依次为败血症、围手术期大出血、颅内出血、肝动脉血栓形成、排斥反应、原发病复发以及心跳骤停。结论 成人肝移植行肝动脉搭桥的适应证主要是各种原因导致的受者肝动脉不适用，或因肝门部严重粘连而无法解剖者；患者术后转归与肝移植的次数及患者的术前状况有关。     

Uni- and multi-variate analysis of risk factors for early and late hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is a significant cause of morbidity after liver transplantation. The aims of this study are to identify and compare risk factors that might contribute to HAT. METHODS: A total of 424 liver transplants performed at the University of Virginia were reviewed. HAT was defined as complete disruption of arterial blood flow to the allograft and was identified in 29 cases (6.8%). HAT was classified as early (less than 1 month posttransplant, 9 cases: 2.1%) or late (more than 1 month posttransplant, 20 cases: 5.4%). Possible risk factors for HAT were analyzed using Pearson chi2 test for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Multiple transplants, recipient/donor weight ratio >1.25, biopsy-proven rejection within 1 week of transplant, recipient negative cytomegalovirus (CMV) status, arterial anastomosis to an old conduit (defined as a previously constructed aorto-hepatic artery remnant using donor iliac artery), and CMV negative patients receiving allograft from CMV positive donors were found to be significant risk factors for developing early HAT. After logistic regression, factors independently predicting early HAT included arterial anastomosis to an old conduit [odds ratio (OR)=7.33], recipient/donor weight ratio >1.25 (OR=5.65), biopsy-proven rejection within 1 week posttransplant (OR=2.81), and donor positive and recipient negative CMV status (OR=2.66). Female donor, the combination of female donor and male recipient, recipient hepatitis C-related liver disease, donor negative CMV status, and the combination of recipient CMV negative and donor CMV negative were found to be significant risk factors for late HAT. Factors independently predicting late HAT by logistic regression included negative recipient and donor CMV status (OR=2.26) and the combination of a female donor and male recipient (OR=1.97). CONCLUSION: Therefore, in nonemergency situations attention to these factors in donor allocation may minimize the possibility of HAT.     

Biliary complications secondary to late hepatic artery thrombosis in adult liver transplant patients

Abstract Biliary complications (BC) are the usual presentation of late hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) of the liver graft. Our aim was to study the clinical features and outcome of BC secondary to HAT compared to BC which occurred in liver transplant (LT) patients with patent vessels. We present a retrospective study of 224 LTs performed in 204 patients between 1988 and 1996. The mean recipient x s age was 51 years. A choledochocholedochostomy without T-tube was used as biliary reconstruction in most cases (67%); in 12%, a choledochojejunostomy was performed. An iliac conduit was necessary in 15 % of cases and back-table arterial reconstruction was performed in 10 % of cases of anatomic variants in graft arteries. Different donor, recipient and intraoperative variables, as well as treatment and outcome, were studied in the two groups of patients presenting BC with or without HAT. BC occurred in 38 cases (17%) whereas HAT was diagnosed in 11 cases (4.9%). Therefore, 23 % of BC encountered after LT were secondary to HAT. Nine cases of late HAT manifested as BC, septicaemia (88 %) and hepatic bilomas (8 cases). Percutaneous or surgical drainage of hepatic bilomas was performed in all cases, followed by retransplantation in six cases (66%). BC secondary to HAT appeared later than the rest of BC. Donor age was the only significant predisposing factor found in our study. Graft survival is significantly reduced as most patients needed re-transplantation. In conclusion, BC secondary to HAT presented later in livers from older donors in the form of biliary sepsis and hepatic biloma. Retransplantation was ultimately required in most cases and graft survival was significantly diminished.     

亲体部分肝移植术后肝动脉栓塞的防治

目的 探讨亲体部分肝移植（LRLT）术后肝动脉栓塞（HAT）的预防和治疗。方法 于2001年1月至6月成功的对6例肝豆状核变性患者进行了亲体部分肝移植。术中重视肝动脉吻合技术；根据红细胞压积（HCT）控制输血量；术后根据B超检查肝动脉血流及凝血相结果，选择不同的血浆输注,并采用低分子肝素、华法令和低分子右旋糖酐等联合抗凝治疗。结果 6例肝移植后均健康存活，1例发生HAT，经急诊取栓并行肝动脉重建术后无效，再次肝移植后存活。结论 理想的肝动脉吻合、适当控制血制品和正确使用抗凝治疗，是预防LRLT后HAT的重要手段，一旦发生HAT，应急诊取栓，进行肝动脉重建术，甚至进行再次肝移植。     

Effect of protocol Doppler ultrasonography and urgent revascularization on early hepatic artery thrombosis after pediatric liver transplantation

HYPOTHESIS: Protocol Doppler ultrasonography of the liver (DUSL) is useful for detecting early hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT). Urgent exploration based on DUSL findings and immediate revascularization of the liver may avoid HAT-related sequelae, namely, biliary complications and retransplantation after pediatric liver transplantation. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Group 1 included 96 liver transplantations performed in 75 pediatric patients from June 1, 1994, to August 31, 1999. Group 2 included 43 liver transplantations performed in 39 pediatric patients from September 1, 1999, to September 30, 2001. INTERVENTION: In group 1, DUSL was performed on the first posttransplantation day or on request. Angiographic confirmation of suggested HAT was treated with thrombolysis, angioplasty, or thrombectomy. In group 2, protocol DUSL was performed every 12 hours in the first week and every 24 hours in the second week. The suspicion of HAT warranted urgent surgery without the patient undergoing angiography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of HAT, biliary complications, and retransplantation. Graft and patient survival. Hospital stay, and number of admissions and operations after undergoing HAT. RESULTS: The incidence of HAT was 10.4% (10 of 96 transplantations) in group 1 and 7.0% (3 of 43 transplantations) in group 2. The incidence of biliary complications after HAT was 100% in group 1 and 0% in group 2 (P=.02). The incidence of retransplantation after HAT was 90.0% (9 of 10 patients) in group 1 and 0% in group 2 (P=.01). Of the 10 patients who experienced HAT in group 1, 5 patients underwent early retransplantation (mean length of time, 13.2 days). All 5 patients who did not undergo early retransplantation had biliary complications. Four of these 5 patients underwent retrasplantation at a later time (mean length of time, 687 days). In group 2, DUSL identified early HAT in 3 patients (7.0%). Emergent thrombectomy and arterial reconstruction were undertaken. All 3 (100%) have their original graft and are alive. None experienced biliary complications. One-year graft and patient survival is 72.0% and 84.0%, respectively, in group 1 and 80.0% and 85.0%, respectively, in group 2. Shorter hospital stay, fewer readmissions, and surgery after HAT were noted in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Protocol DUSL detects early HAT and urgent revascularization based on DUSL can significantly reduce the incidence of biliary complication and graft loss requiring retransplantation in pediatric liver transplantation.     

原位肝移植肝动脉血栓形成的预防和治疗

目的 总结原位肝移植肝动脉重建及其并发症的防治经验，以提高肝移植疗效和受体存活率。方法 分析9年间实施的85例原位肝移植患者的临床资料。肝动脉重建采用供者腹腔动脉干Carrell’s袖片或肝总动脉-脾动脉汇合部与受者肝左-右动脉部吻合16例(18．82％)，与受者胃十二指肠-肝固有动脉汇合部吻合61例(71．76％)，采用髂动脉-腹主动脉搭桥8例(9．42％)。术后根据凝血酶原时间(PT)，使用普通肝素或低分子肝素预防性抗凝。术中、术后应用多普勒超声监测肝动脉血供。结果 1例术中发生肝动脉血栓形成(HAT)，立即行血栓切除，重新吻合动脉，现已随访13个月，肝动脉保持通畅。其余84例随访2～54个月，未见HAT发生。全组HAT发生率为1．2％。结论 正确选择肝动脉重建吻合的部位和术后有效的抗凝治疗可以减少HAT的发生；多普勒超声监测能早期发现HAT，挽救移植物，避免再移植。     

原位肝移植肝动脉并发症的预防和治疗

目的 总结分析原位肝移植肝动脉重建及其并发症的防治经验,提高肝移植疗效和受体存活率。方法 总结1995年5月至2005年4月实施的122例肝移植临床资料,肝动脉重建采用供者腹腔动脉干Carrell’s袖片或肝总动脉-脾动脉汇合部与受者肝左-右动脉汇合部袖片吻合21（16．76％）,与受者胃十二指肠-肝固有动脉汇合部吻合87例（71．76％）,采用髂动脉-腹主动脉搭桥14例（11．48％）。术后根据凝血酶原时间（PT）,应用普通肝素或低分子肝素预防性抗凝。术中、术后应用多普勒超声监测肝动脉血供。结果 术后肝动脉血栓形成（HAT）3例,肝动脉狭窄（HAS）2例。1例HAT于术后19d死于多器官功能衰竭,另4例通过放射介入治疗治愈。其余病例随访2～62个月,未见肝动脉血栓形成（HAT）和肝动脉狭窄（HAS）。本组肝动脉并发症发生率为4．10％。结论 正确地选择肝动脉重建吻合的部位和术后有效的抗凝治疗可减少HAT和HAS的发生,多普勒超声监测能早期发现HAT和HAS,挽救移植物,避免再移植。     

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation in children.

Early hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after pediatric orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) can cause significant morbidity and mortality, leading to liver failure or septic complications requiring urgent retransplantation. Experimental evidence that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) may ameliorate hepatic ischemic-reperfusion injury led to this study of HBO in pediatric liver transplant recipients who developed HAT. Children undergoing OLT under primary tacrolimus immunosuppression and University of Wisconsin organ preservation between August 1, 1989, and December 31, 1998, who developed HAT were the basis for this study. Patients who developed HAT between March 1, 1994, and December 31, 1998, were treated with HBO therapy until signs of ischemia resolved (absence of fever, normalizing liver injury test results) or for 2 weeks. The pediatric OLTs performed from August 1, 1989, to February 28, 1994, who developed HAT served as a control group. Primary outcome measures were survival, retransplantation rate, time to retransplantation, incidence of hepatic gangrene, and days to collateral formation. Three hundred seventy-five consecutive pediatric patients underwent 416 OLTs between August 1, 1989, and December 31, 1998. Thirty-one patients (7.5%) developed HAT at a mean time of 8.2 days (range, 1 to 52 days) post-OLT. In 17 patients, HBO treatment was begun within 24 hours of HAT or immediately after the revascularization attempt and performed twice daily for 90 minutes at 2.4 atmospheres pressure. Fourteen patients were treated without HBO. None of the HBO-treated patients developed hepatic gangrene. Eight HBO patients (47%) were bridged to retransplantation at a mean time of 157 days (range, 3 to 952 days) after initial OLT and all survived. Mean time to retransplant in the control group was 12.7 days (range, 1 to 64 days). HBO was well tolerated without significant complications. Although there was no significant difference in survival or retransplantation rates, HBO significantly delayed retransplantation, potentially by hastening the development of hepatic artery collaterals.     

Correlation between intraoperative blood flows and hepatic artery strictures in liver transplantation

Hepatic artery strictures (HASs) may be a source of morbidity and mortality in liver transplant recipients. This study evaluated the potential correlation between intraoperative arterial and venous blood flows measured after implantation of the liver allograft and the occurrence of postoperative HASs requiring repair. Prospectively collected data from 1,038 patients with complete data sets who underwent initial orthotopic liver transplantations between December 1984 and December 1999 were used. Electromagnetic flow measurements were routinely obtained in these cases. Hepatic artery and portal vein patency were reassessed routinely according to our protocol in the first postoperative day by Doppler ultrasound. When considered hemodynamically significant, strictures were corrected. There was a 6.2% incidence (n = 64) of hepatic artery stenosis in our transplant population. When considered as a whole, the hepatic artery stenosis group had lower intraoperative flow volumes than transplant recipients who did not develop strictures (mean flows, 452 v 518 mL/min, respectively; P = .025). The hepatic artery stenosis group also had lower intraoperative portal vein flows compared with the group without hepatic artery stenosis (1.80 v 2.11 L/min, respectively; P = .0043). Strictures were less frequent among transplant recipients with cryptogenic cirrhosis. We did not observe differences among the groups for retransplantation or patient and graft survival. In our series, there was a 6.2% incidence of postoperative HASs. We observed a significant association between intraoperative hepatic artery and portal vein flows and postoperative HASs. (Liver Transpl 2002;8:160-163.)     

Vascular complications after orthotopic liver transplantation: hepatic artery thrombosis

Introduction

Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is the second main cause of liver graft failure after primary nonfunction. It is the most frequent arterial complication in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The consensus for early HAT definition consists of an arterial thrombosis detected during the first month after OLT. HAT is associated with markedly increased morbidity, being the leading cause of graft loss (53%) and mortality. However, improvements in postoperative care have resulted in a marked reduction of its incidence.

Methods

We performed a review of all patients who underwent liver transplantations from January 1991 to December 2009, involving 1560 subjects who underwent 1674 OLT, excluding children. To analyze the impact of the study period on HAT, we defined 3 periods: the first between January 1991 and April 1993, the second from May 1993 to December 2003, and the last from January 2004 to December 2009.

Results

The total number of patients with HAT was 48 (2.8%) including 32 (1.9%) early HAT and 16 (0.9%) late HAT. The incidence of HAT diminished as the surgical team gained experience from 9.3% in the first period to 2.1% in the last. Most patients with early HAT presented acute fulminant hepatic failure (30%) and most were retransplantations (81%).

Discussion

In general, there are 3 modalities for HAT: revascularization, retransplantation, and observation. The choice of the treatment depended on the time of diagnosis although retransplantation was the treatment of choice for most groups. Minimizing risk factors, protocols for early detection, and good operative techniques should be the standard in all centers.     

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.     

原位肝移植肝动脉重建临床分析

目的 总结分析原位肝移植肝动脉重建经验,提高肝移植疗效和受体存活率.方法 总结1995年5月至2006年12月实施的183例肝移植临床资料,常规动脉重建163例,供者腹腔动脉干Carrell's袖片或肝总动脉-脾动脉汇合部与受者肝左-右动脉汇合部吻合25例,胃十二指肠-肝固有动脉汇合部吻合134例,腹腔动脉干吻合4例.采用髂动脉.腹主动脉搭桥20例.术后根据凝血酶原时间(PT),应用普通肝素或低分子肝素抗凝.术中、术后应用多普勒超声监测肝动脉血供.结果 183例肝移植患者中有6例发生肝动脉并发症,发生率为3.28%(6/183),其中肝动脉血栓形成(hepatic artery thrombosis,HAT)5例,肝动脉狭窄(hepatic artery stenosis,HAS)1例.常规通路动脉重建组动脉并发症发生率1.84%(3/163),髂动脉-腹主动脉搭桥组为15.0%(3/20),两者比较差异有统计学意义(X2=9.73,P＜0.01).6例并发症患者中有1例HAT于术后19 d死于多器官功能衰竭,另5例通过介入治疗治愈,死亡率16.7%.结论 正确地选择肝动脉重建吻合的部位和术后有效的抗凝治疗减少HAT和HAS的发生,多普勒超声的早期发现和放射介入的及时治疗可以挽救移植物,避免再移植.     

原位肝移植术后动脉并发症的诊断与治疗

目的 探讨肝移植术后动脉并发症的早期诊断与治疗方法。方法 回顾性分析本院180例次原位肝移植术后动脉并发症的监测、诊断与处理。结果 动脉并发症发生率为5．0％(9／180)，其中肝动脉血栓形成(HAT)5例，肝动脉狭窄(HAS)3例，腹腔动脉狭窄1例。8例动脉造影证实，1例尸检证实。彩色多普勒超声(CDI)的诊断敏感度和特异度分别为88．9％和95．9％；术中超声(IOUS)的敏感度、特异度，阳性预测值和阴性预测值分别为100％，96．0％，66．7％和100％。3例患者接受介入治疗、3例接受再血管化手术、2例分别接受再次肝移植和非手术治疗。3例治愈，6例死亡。结论CD1是监测动脉并发症的首选方法；IOUS有助于术中的早期诊断。HAS和HAT治疗应首选再血管化或再次肝移植；介入溶栓的疗效不佳；个别患者可尝试非手术治疗。