Eversion Thrombectomy for Portal Vein Thrombosis During Liver Transplantation

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) has been seen as an obstacle to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), but recent data suggest that favorable results may be achieved in this group of patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence, management, and survival of patients with PVT undergoing primary OLT with thrombectomy. Between October 1990 and August 2000, 468 liver transplantations were performed in our center and portal vein thrombosis was present in 38 patients (8.1%). Preoperative diagnosis, extension, intraoperative management, postoperative recurrence of portal vein thrombosis, and 1-year actuarial survival rates were retrospectively studied. Preoperative diagnosis was made in 17 cases (44.7%). In all patients, portal flow was restored after portal vein thrombectomy, followed by usual end-to-end portal anastomosis. All patients received preventive low-weight heparin from day 2 to hospital discharge, and then aspirin. Rethrombosis was observed in one patient with extended splanchnic thrombus. The 1-year actuarial patient survival rate was 83.7%, and did not significantly differ from the patients without portal vein thrombosis (86.7%). Our results suggest that portal vein thrombosis is often partial and thus difficult to diagnose preoperatively: it can be managed successfully during surgery by thrombectomy, except when there is complete splanchnic veins thrombosis; and it did not affect 1-year survival.     

术前门静脉血流速度在门静脉高压症断流术后血栓形成中的预测价值

目的 评价术前门静脉血流速度对乙型肝炎肝硬化门静脉高压症断流术后门静脉血栓形成(PVT)中的预测价值.方法 对2007年1月至2008年7月在四川大学华西医院同一外科小组行脾切除和断流术的连续45例乙型肝炎后肝硬化门静脉高压症患者,运用彩色多普勒超声测量术前1 d门静脉直径、流速以及术后7 d有无门静脉系统血栓形成.同时计算患者术前Child-Pugh评分.术后测量去脾脏血液后的脾脏重量,检测术前1 d、术后7 d凝血酶原时间(PT)和血小板计数(PLT).并将患者分为血栓组与非血栓组、高速组与低速组,分别对上述指标进行统计学对比分析.结果 术后发生门静脉系统血栓13例(28.9%),血栓组(n=13)术前门静脉流速为(19.5±5.3)cm/s,其中12例低于25 cm/s[平均(18.4±3.8)cm/s],1例为32.3 cm/s;非血栓组(n=32)术前门静脉流速为(29.6±8.0)cm/s,两组差异有统计学意义(P<0.01).低速组(n=17)和高速组(n=28)血栓发生率分别为70.6%和3.6%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01).分别比较两种分组的患者术前Child-Pugh评分、脾脏重量、手术前后PT和PLT,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05).25 cm/s作为指标预测术后血栓形成的敏感性为92.3%,特异性为70.6%.结论 术前门静脉直径增加及血流速度降低是导致术后门静脉系统发生血栓的主要危险因素,尤其当门静脉流速降低(<25 cm/s)时,断流术后血栓发生率将显著增高.门静脉直径与血流速度存在负相关系,可根据门静脉流速预测门静脉高压症断流术后的血栓的形成.     

Single-Center Experience of 253 Portal Vein Thrombosis Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation in China

Objective

We sought to review the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and surgical options for 253 patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) to assess the the impact of PVT on outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data from 2508 adult patients undergoing 2614 OLTs in our center from September 1998 to July 2007. PVT was scorded according to the operative findings and Yerdel grading of PVT. No prisoners were used as donors for this study.

Results

Two hundred fifty-three patients were diagnosed with PVT (10.09%): there were 104 grade I; 114, grade II; 29, grade III; and 6, grade IV PVT. Sex and previous splenectomy increased the risk for PVT. In grade I and II cases, we performed simple thrombectomy, eversion thrombectomy, or improved eversion thrombectomy (IET, innovated by our center), producing smooth postoperative recoveries with a 0% in-hospitality mortality. In grade III cases, 18 underwent successful IET. Of 11 subjects who had eversion thrombectomy, six failed, and the distal superior mesentery vein or dilated splanchnic collateral tributary had to be used as the inflow vessel in four patients, and portal vein arterialization were performed in the other two patients, all of whom experienced a smooth postoperative recovery except one who died of hepatic failure and pulmonary infection 2 weeks after the operation. The in-hospitality mortality was 3.45%. In grade IV cases, three underwent successful IET, but another three cases failed, with two of them requiring a renal vein as the inflow vessel, and other one undergoing portocaval hemitransposition, with one postoperative death due to hepatic failure and another of cancer recurrence, an in-hospitality mortality rate of 33.33%. The transfusion requirement among PVT patients was significantly higher than that in non-PVT patients (9.32 ± 3.12 U vs 6.02 ± 2.40 U; P < .01). Blood loss in PVT patients who underwent the IET technique was significantly lower than that for an eversion thrombectomy (2800.36 ± 930.52 mL vs 5700.21 ± 162.50 mL P < .05). The overall actuarial 1-year survival rate in PVT patients was similar to the controls (86.56% vs 89.40%; P > .05).

Conclusion

OLT was successfully performed for PVT patients. The grade of PVT decided the surgical strategy. Similar 1-year survival rates were attained between PVT patients and controls undergoing OLT.     

Portal Vein Thrombosis and Liver Transplantation: Long Term

Obstruction of the portal vein may be related to constriction by malignant tumors or thrombosis associated with liver disease. We herein have reported our experience with patients undergoing liver transplantation with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) whose diagnosis was made intraoperatively. From September 1991 to May 2009, we studied 27/419 (6.4%) patients with PVT who were evaluated according to the presence of esophagogastric varices, underlying disease, malignancy, and if there was previous surgery, review of medical records on data collected prospectively. We observed 24 (88.9%) patients with PVT grade 1, 2 (7.4%) with grade 2, and 1 (3.7%) with grade 3. The average age of the PVT patients was 47.5 years; the average model for End-Stage Liver Discase score was 18.3, and the predominant diagnosis, hepatitis C cirrhosis. Eighteen underwent a sclerotherapy/ligature. The sensitivity of ultrasound for grade 1 thrombosis was 39.1%; for grade 2, 50%; and for grade 3, 100%. Portal vein thrombectomy was performed in 24 patients. In other patients (grade 2), we performed an anastomosis of the donor portal vein to the recipient gastric vein or to a greater splanchnic collateral vein. In only 1 patient was the graft performed using the donor portal vein-donor iliac vein-recipient superior mesenteric vein. None of the patients displayed PVT in the immediate postoperative period. Actuarial survivals at the years 1, 3, and 5 were 85%, 74%, and 63%, respectively. We concluded that PVT cannot be considered to be a contraindication for liver transplantation.     

Thrombosis Confined to the Portal Vein Is Not a Contraindication for Living Donor Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of agreement regarding preexisting portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We report the results of a single-center study to determine the impact of PVT on outcomes of adult LDLT recipients. METHODS: Of 133 cases of adult LDLT performed between January 2000 and December 2004, a thrombectomy was performed on 22 patients (16.5%) with PVT during the transplant procedure. One hundred eleven patients without PVT (group 1) were compared with those with a thrombosis confined to the portal vein (group 2; n = 15) and patients with the thrombosis beyond the portal vein (group 3; n = 7). RESULTS: The sensitivities of Doppler ultrasound and CT in detecting PVT were 50 and 63.6%. A prior history of variceal bleeding (OR = 10.6, p = 0.002) and surgical shunt surgery (OR = 28.1, p = 0.044) were found to be an independent risk factors for PVT. The rate of postoperative PVT was significantly higher in patients with PVT than in those without (18.2 vs. 2.7%; p = 0.014). In particular, the rethrombosis rate in group 3 was 28.6%. The actuarial 3-year patient survival rate in PVT patients (73.6%) was similar to that of the non-PVT patients (85.3%; p = 0.351). However, the actuarial 3-year patient survival rate in group 3 was 38.1%, which was significantly lower than that in groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: A thrombosis confined to the portal vein per se should not be considered a contraindication for LDLT.     

Outcomes of Surgical Strategies for Living Donor Liver Transplantation in Patients With Portal Vein Thrombosis: A Cohort Study

BackgroundAdequate portal flow to the liver graft is the requirement of a successful liver transplant (LT). Historically, portal vein thrombosis (PVT) was a contraindication for LT, especially for living donor LT (LDLT), demanding technically more difficult operations and advanced technique. In this study, the outcomes of patients with and without PVT after LDLT were compared.MethodsAdult LDLTs performed by 2 centers (n = 335) between 2013 and 2020 were included into this large cohort study. PVT was classified based on Yerdel classification grade 1 to 4.ResultsSixty-two patients with PVT constituted 19% of the study cohort of 335 recipients. While mean platelet count was found to be lower (P = .011) in the PVT group, patient age (P = .035), operation duration (P = .001), and amount of intraoperative blood transfusion (P = .010) were found to be higher. Incidence of PVT was higher in female patients than males (22.7% vs 16.1%, P = .037). There was no significant difference in survival between patients with and without PVT on 30-day (P = .285), 90-day (P = .565), 1-year (P = .777), and overall survival (P = .917). Early thrombosis did not show a better survival rate than Grades 2, 3, or 4 PVT. Thrombosis limited to portal vein was not found to bring a survival advantage compared with Grade 3 and 4 thromboses. Eversion thrombectomy was the most common procedure (66%) to overcome PVT intraoperatively.ConclusionAlthough technically more challenging, PVT is not a contraindication of LDLT. Similar outcomes can be achieved in LDLT in patients with PVT after proper restoration of portal flow, which eliminates the default survival disadvantage of patients with PVT.     

门静脉血栓的肝移植术中处理

目的 探讨门静脉血栓(PVT)的肝移植术中外科处理方法及其效果.方法 肝移植患者2508例,共行肝移植2614次,其中253例术前并发PVT.并发PVT者的Yerdel分级为,Ⅰ级者104例,Ⅱ级者114例,Ⅲ级者29例,Ⅳ级者6例.根据具体情况对并发Ⅰ、Ⅱ级PVT者施行静脉血栓切除术、外翻血栓切除术或外翻式门静脉内膜剥脱切除术;并发Ⅲ级PVT者,18例行外翻式门静脉内膜剥脱切除术,11例行外翻血栓切除术;并发Ⅳ级PVT者行外翻式门静脉内膜剥脱切除术.结果 218例并发Ⅰ、Ⅱ级PVT者中,32例行静脉血栓切除术,52例行外翻血栓切除术,134例行外翻式门静脉内膜剥脱切除术,均获得成功.29例并发Ⅲ级PVT者中,18例行外翻式门静脉内膜剥脱切除术,均获得成功;11例行外翻血栓切除术,其中5例获得成功,6例失败.6例并发Ⅳ级PVT者中,3例行外翻式门静脉内膜剥脱切除术,获得成功,3例取栓失败.253例并发PVT者肝移植术后6个月的存活率为93.7%,与同期无PVT的肝移植患者相比较(94.4%),差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).结论 并发PVT者可接受肝移植,术中应根据PVT的Yerdel分级情况,采取适合的外科处理方式.     

Intraoperative ultrasound guided portal venous thrombectomy in living donor liver transplantation recipient surgery.

Portal vein reconstruction in liver transplantation from live donor grafts has major challenging factors in cases with portal venous thrombosis (PVT). To overcome this critical surgical challenge, we devised a novel technique, intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS)-guided thrombectomy of the portal vein. IOUS-guided thrombectomy was applied to the 10 patients whose PVT extended to the splenomesenteric junction. In these patients, closed thin scissors were inserted from the stump of the recipient portal vein under ultrasound guidance and the thrombus was dissected from the venous wall. The application of IOUS-guided thrombectomy in patients with moderate to severe PVT led to a 3-year patency rate of 83%, comparable to that of simple thrombectomy applied to partial or minimal (grade I-II) PVT (83%). IOUS-guided thrombectomy is helpful to adequately remove severe thrombi from the deep lumen of the portal vein, provided the procedure was carried out by an experienced surgeon with adequate preparation for unexpected venous injuries.     

门静脉高压症外科手术后门静脉系统血栓形成

目的：探讨门静脉高压症外科手术后门静脉系统血栓形成率及原因.方法：回顾性分析我院近8年采用脾肾分流加门奇断流联合手术和门奇断流术治疗233例病人门静脉高压症的临床资料,并应用核磁共振血管造影测量门静脉、脾静脉和肠系膜上静脉流速.结果：断流手术后门静脉系统血栓形成率为91.06%,且均有脾静脉血栓形成,门静脉主干血栓形成占其中25.89%,联合手术后血栓形成率为10.91%.与术前相比,血栓组术后门静脉（PV）和脾静脉（SV）流速下降显著,无血栓组术后PV和SV的流速无显著下降.术后血栓组SV的流速与无血栓组病人比较有非常显著的降低.血栓组和无血栓组在术前和术后的相同时间,病人血小板无显著性差异,PT延长时间两组手术前后及两组间均无显著性差异.结论：门静脉高压症断流手术后门静脉系统血栓形成率高达91.06%,且均有脾静脉血栓形成.门静脉系统血液流速减缓在术后门静脉系统血栓形成中起重要作用.脾切除后病人血小板升高并非是形成血栓的主要原因.脾肾静脉分流联合断流术在减少门静脉系统血栓形成中有很大优势.     

终末期肝病合并门静脉血栓患者的肝移植术(附四例报告)

目的 探讨终末期肝病合并门静脉血栓(PVT)患者的肝移植术。方法 对准备肝移植的受者常规应用CT和彩色多普勒检查，发现共有4例受者伴有PVT。此4例受者进行了原位肝移植术和门静脉血栓摘除治疗。术中对残留有附壁血栓的1例受者，在肠系膜上静脉分支处插入一带有肝素帽的导管，术后用于注入尿激酶进行溶栓治疗。术后所有受者均应用了低分子肝素、华法令和前列腺素E1等抗凝治疗。结果 术中一次性取尽血栓3例；1例受者PVT延及脾静脉人口和门脉左右支，术后门静脉残留有血栓，经溶栓和抗凝治疗，术后28d血栓消失。有3例受者在术后2个月内痊愈出院，随访至今情况良好；1例受者因胸腔穿刺并发出血，后发生多房性积液和肺部感染，于术后48d死亡。结论(1)PVT不是肝移植的绝对禁忌证；(2)外科摘除血栓、溶栓和抗凝治疗能对PVT进行根治；(3)出血是肝移植门静脉血栓治疗后的主要并发症，要加强预防和治疗。     

介入联合手术治疗门静脉血栓形成7例

目的 评价介入联合手术治疗门静脉血栓形成的疗效。方法 对7例术前确诊为门静脉血栓形成者行开腹经肠系膜上静脉的门静脉内手术取栓、局部溶栓和门静脉狭窄/闭塞段球囊扩张、内支架置入术。2例因小肠坏死、1例因肠腔明显狭窄而同时行部分小肠切除术。结果 7例均治疗成功。术前腹痛、腹胀及消化道症状消失,腹水基本消失。随访3～24个月,平均16个月,均健在,无消化道出血。多普勒超声复查显示门静脉血流通畅。结论 介入联合手术是治疗门静脉血栓形成的安全、有效方法。     

门静脉高压症脾切除贲门周围血管离断术后早期门静脉血栓形成的预测

目的 探讨肝炎后肝硬化门静脉高压症脾切除贲门周围血管离断术后,早期门静脉血栓形成(PVT)的易患因素及术后早期预测PVT的可能.方法 对2004年1月至2009年11月间,27例肝炎后肝硬化门静脉高压症脾切除贲门周围血管离断术后早期PVT形成的患者,与同期住院的未发生PVT的37例患者进行临床资料的回顾分析与对比.结果 单因素及多因素分析显示,与肝炎后肝硬化门静脉高压症脾切除贲门周围血管离断术后早期PVT形成有关的因素有4个,即术后术前PLT比值、术后D二聚体、术后全血黏度、术后门静脉流速.每例患者术后PVT的总的预测正确率为87.3%.结论 患者术后术前PLT比值、术后D二聚体、术后全血黏度增高、术后门静脉流速减缓是肝炎后肝硬化门静脉高压症脾切除贲门周围血管离断术后早期PVT形成的易患因素.     

Management of Acute Non-cirrhotic and Non-malignant Portal Vein Thrombosis: A Systematic Review

Background  

No definitive evidence exists regarding the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Treatment modalities described include conservative management, anticoagulation, thrombolysis, and thrombectomy. This review examines the impact of such treatment, its outcomes, and the complications resulting from the resultant portal hypertension.     

Portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis with variceal hemorrhage

Organized thrombus in the main trunk of the portal vein was encountered in 85 (6.5%) or 1300 patients with cirrhosis and variceal hemorrhage who underwent direct portacaval shunt (PCS). The thrombus was successfully removed with restoration of portal blood flow in all patients by phlebothrombectomy and balloon catheter extraction. Of the 85 patients, 65 were among 400 unselected patients who underwent emergency PCS (16%), and 20 were among 900 selected patients who underwent elective PCS (2%). All patients were closely followed for at least 5 years. Patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) had more advanced liver disease than those without PVT, reflected preoperatively in significantly higher (P<0.01) incidences of ascites (75%), severe muscle wasting (52%), varices of very large size (94%), the hyperdynamic state (94%), severe hypersplenism with a platelet count of less than 50,000/mm³ (92%), and placement in Child’s class C (52%). Side-to-side PCS reduced the portal vein-inferior vena cava pressure gradient to a mean of 23 mm saline solution in patients with PVT, similar to the marked pressure reduction obtained in patients without PVT.PCS promptly stopped variceal bleeding in all patients in the emergency PCS group. Permanent prevention of recurrent variceal bleeding was successful in 95% of patients with PVT and more than 99% of patients without PVT. Survival rates were similar in patients with and without PVT. In patients with PVT, survival rates at 30 days and 1,5, 10, and 15 years following emergency PCS were 69%, 66%, 65%, 55%, and 51%, respectively, and following elective PCS were 95%, 90%, 70%, 65%, and 60%, respectively. Quality of life was similar in patients with a without PVT, respectively, were the incidences of recurrent encephalopathy (9% vs. 8%), alcohol abstinence (61% vs. 64%), improved liver function (68% vs. 62% to 75%), and return to work (52% vs. 56% to 64%). It was concluded that in patients with cirrhosis and variceal hemorrhage it is almost always possible to remove portal vein thrombus by means of phlebothrombectomy and then perform a direct PCS with results similar to those achieved in the absence of PVT. Supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. Presented at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, San Francisco, Calif. May 19–22, 1996.     

Salvage procedure for unexpected portal vein thrombosis in living donor liver transplantation

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is considered a relative contraindication to living donor liver transplantation (LDLTx) due to technical difficulty and ethical considerations. So far, there have been a few reported cases of LDLTx with PVT, most of which were treated by thrombectomy with or without a venous conduit. We report a case of LDLTx in an unexpected recipient with grade 4 diffuse PVT, which was successfully managed using a variceal left gastric vein and a deceased donor iliac vein conduit to create a "de novo portal vein" for splanchnic inflow to the right lobe. The patient experienced an uneventful postoperative course with normal blood flow in the de novo portal vein at 1-year follow up. This report demonstrated that a variceal collateral vein can be used as appropriate alternative inflow for the right lobe in LDLTx cases in which an unexpected PVT is encountered.     

Clinical analysis of living donor liver transplantation in patients with portal vein thrombosis

Kim S‐J, Kim D‐G, Park J‐H, Moon I‐S, Lee M‐D, Kim J‐I, Yoon Y‐C, Yoo Y‐K. Clinical analysis of living donor liver transplantation in patients with portal vein thrombosis.
Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 111–118. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: The aim of this study was to improve outcomes in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Of 246 adult patients who underwent LDLT with a right lobe graft between January 2000 and May 2007, PVT was diagnosed in 50 patients (20.3%), who were further subdivided into partial (n = 39, 78%) and complete (n = 11, 22%) types. Patients with PVT, especially complete PVT, showed high incidences of variceal bleeding (p = 0.021), operative RBC transfusion (p < 0.046) and a post‐transplantation complications related to bleeding (p = 0.058). We also classified PVT according to its location and the presence of collaterals: type I (n = 41, 82%): PVT localized above the confluence of the splenic and superior mesenteric veins (SMV); type II (n = 7, 14%): PVT extending below the confluence with a patent distal SMV; type III (n = 2, 4%): complete portal vein and SMV thrombosis except for a coronary vein. LDLT could be safely undertaken in patients with PVT without increased mortality. In our type II and III PVT, when thrombectomy fails, jump grafting using a cryopreserved vessel may serve as a reliable alternative method to restore portal flow.     

Liver transplantation in the presence of portal vein thrombosis: report from a single center

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a frequent finding in liver transplantation, the management of which depends mainly on its extent. In cases of mild to moderate PVT, a low dissection of the portal trunk, a jump graft, or direct implantation of graft portal vein into large venous collaterals or thrombectomy offer alternatives. For severe PVT anecdotal reports suggest that cavoportal hemitransposition, portal arterialization, or combined liver and intestine transplantation may be attempted, although the results to date are not satisfactory. When extensive perivenous and venous inflammatory changes reach the infrapancreatic region, liver transplantation probably should not be performed due to the high mortality rate.     

Recurrent Portal Vein Thrombosis In Liver Transplantation With Renoportal Anastomosis Caused by Spontaneous Reno-Caval Shunts: A Case Report

BackgroundOrthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in patients with cirrhosis complicated by portal hypertension, portosystemic shunts, and chronic portal vein thrombosis (PVT) has long been challenging. Spontaneous spleno-renal shunts (SRS) allow new surgical techniques to restore portal vein patency and hepatopetal flow. Renoportal anastomosis (RPA) has emerged as an accepted method for transplanting these patients, with good long-term patient and graft survival. Orthotopic liver transplantation with RPA is known to be complicated by recurrent PVT, with few details discussed in the literature.Case ReportWe present a case of a 56-year-old woman with decompensated cirrhosis who underwent deceased donor whole graft OLT using RPA with iliac vein conduit. The postoperative course was complicated by occlusive thrombosis in the portal vein and iliac vein conduit. Venography revealed enlarged left gonadal and lumbar vein varices acting as reno-caval shunts with hepatofugal flow. Embolization of the varices re-established durable venous patency that was confirmed on post-transplant day 68 with no other hemodynamic complications.DiscussionThis showcases an interesting mechanism by which recurrent PVT may occur in patients undergoing OLT with RPA. Because durable portal vein patency can be achieved with Interventional Radiology embolization of reno-caval varices, assessing these communications is an important preoperative consideration for planned OLT with RPA.     

Thrombendvenectomy for Organized Portal Vein Thrombosis at the Time of Liver Transplantation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of portal thrombendvenectomy in cases of portal vein thrombosis at the time of orthotopic liver transplantation. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) has been reported to have an incidence of 2% to 39% in end-stage liver disease. Multiple techniques have been suggested to treat this finding. Several reports have suggested suboptimal results after liver transplantation in recipients with PVT. METHODS: The authors prospectively collected data on 1,546 patients who underwent an initial orthotopic liver transplant at the authors' institution between December 1984 and October 1999. There were 820 male patients and 726 female patients. All recipients received either cyclosporine or tacrolimus immunosuppression. Intraoperative flows of the portal vein and hepatic artery were routinely measured. Duplex sonography was routinely performed on the first postoperative day and routinely 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after transplantation. Eighty-five patients underwent thrombendvenectomy for organized thrombus partially or completely occluding the portal vein. Postoperative treatment included low-molecular-weight dextran for 48 hours and daily aspirin for 3 months. There were 53 male patients and 32 female patients. The PVT group was compared with a control group consisting of transplant recipients without PVT. RESULTS: When compared with the control group, PVT patients were older at the time of transplantation and had a higher incidence of liver disease secondary to cryptogenic cirrhosis and Laennec's cirrhosis. There were no significant differences among both groups for 1-, 3-, and 6-year patient and graft survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombendvenectomy provides a rapid resolution of an otherwise complex problem. It is the authors' procedure of choice in cases of organized PVT at the time of transplantation. Operative time and length of stay in the intensive care unit are not prolonged, and patient and graft survival rates are not compromised.     

Portal vein thrombosis in liver transplantation

In the initial experience of liver transplantation, complete thrombosis and portal vein occlusion were considered to be absolute contraindications for liver transplantation. The incidence of portal thrombosis in patients being prepared for transplantation varies between 5% and 15% according to published series. There are 2 surgical techniques to solve absent or low portal vein flow due to thrombosis. The most widely used technique is thrombectomy and the second technique is insertion of a shunt with a venous graft in the permeable portion of the superior mesenteric vein or in a vein in the splanchnic territory. Portal thrombosis recurrence rates vary among series, ranging from 0% to 25% or even 30%, depending on its extension and severity and also on time the transplantation was performed. Although overall survival is somewhat lower, there are no significant differences in most of the series when patients with portal thrombosis who underwent transplantation are compared with those without.