Successful Liver Transplantation in a Patient with a Thrombosed Portomesenteric System after Multiple Failed Shunts

Combined portal and mesenteric vein thrombosis preventing restoration of adequate portal venous flow has been considered a contraindication to liver transplantation. We report a patient with failed splenorenal (SR), portocaval (PC), and mesocaval (MC) shunts, who despite the absence of any obvious means for supplying portal venous inflow to a hepatic graft, successfully underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. A method of reconstruction of the portal vein with the use of vein grafts anastomosed to a large splanchnic venous collateral is described. This technique can be used in selected patients in whom orthotopic liver transplantation might otherwise be considered technically impossible.     

合并门静脉栓塞的肝移植受体术前诊断与术式研究

肝移植受体并门静脉栓塞原因通常分为门静脉血栓（PVT）和门静脉癌栓（PVTT）。术前准确诊断评价门静脉系统,对鉴别门静脉栓子性质及肝移植手术方式指导意义重大。本文对当前合并门静脉栓塞肝移植受体的术前诊断方法及伴PVT肝移植术中重建门静脉的术式进展作一简要综述。     

Preservation of segment 4 inferior by distal middle hepatic vein reconstruction combined with extended right hepatectomy after portal vein embolization in a patient with a huge initially unresectable HCC

An extended hepatectomy combined with preoperative portal venous embolization can offer curative resection in patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. However, hypertrophy of the future remnant liver is occasionally unsatisfactory after portal venous embolization in some patients to remove the initially unresectable tumor. In these patients, hepatic venous reconstruction to preserve hepatic parenchyma may contribute to the possibility of resection. The present case report shows a patient with an initially unresectable huge hepatocellular carcinoma in whom transarterial chemoembolization, portal vein embolization, and an extended right hepatectomy combined with distal middle hepatic venous reconstruction were performed to preserve Segment 4 inferior. The patient was a 66-year-old male. He presented with a huge hepatocellular carcinoma located at Segment 8, 7 and 4 superior, but the volume of the left lateral segment was only 267 mL. Transarterial chemoembolization was performed twice and right portal vein embolization was performed once, but the volume of the left lateral segment was only 318 mL compared to 487 mL which was a limit of future remnant liver volume. We therefore performed an extended right hepatectomy combined with distal middle hepatic venous reconstruction to preserve Segment 4 inferior. The left saphenous venous graft was used for this hepatic venous reconstruction. His postoperative course was almost uneventful. Postoperative abdominal computed tomography showed the satisfactorily preserved Segment 4 inferior. Distal hepatic venous reconstruction combined with an extended hepatectomy may further offer a chance of a curative resection for patients in whom enough hypertrophy of the future remnant liver is not obtained after portal venous embolization.     

Technical dilemma in living-donor or split-liver transplant

In partial liver transplantation for adults criteria for the extent of reconstruction of middle hepatic vein tributaries have not been clarified. After hepatic venous and portal anastomoses in living-donor liver transplantation using left liver graft without middle hepatic vein, color Doppler ultrasonography was applied to check venous and portal blood flow. Color Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated absent hepatic venous flow and reversed portal venous flow in the congested area of the left paramedian sector which had been drained by the divided branch of the middle hepatic vein. The area was darkly discolored before arterial reperfusion and under clamping of the artery. Reconstruction of the venous branch was added after arterial anastomosis. Color Doppler ultrasonography revealed restored normal venous outflow and portal inflow after venous reconstruction. Postoperative course of the recipient was uneventful with rapid recovery of liver function. We propose that middle hepatic vein tributaries should be reconstructed if color Doppler ultrasonography demonstrates absent venous flow and reversed portal flow, and if the liver volume excluding the discolored area under occlusion of the hepatic artery is estimated to be insufficient for postoperative metabolic demand.     

Complex hepatic outflow reconstruction in domino liver transplantation

Domino liver transplantation has been accepted as a safe procedure to further expand the organ donor pool. The most important technical challenge of the procedure resides in restoring a proper hepatic venous allograft outflow in the familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy-liver recipient. To overcome this issue, combined techniques were used to perform an innovative outflow reconstruction. A domino liver transplantation was successfully performed with reconstruction of complex venous outflow. The inferior vena cava sparing hepatectomy technique in the familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy-donor was used to cut the hepatic vein to the liver parenchyma. To overcome this issue the venous outflow tract was reconstructed using a longitudinally opened iliac vein graft from a post-mortem donor to create a new outflow tract using a diamond patch between the right and middle/left hepatic veins.     

Reversal of portal flow after acute rejection in living-donor liver transplantation

Portal hepatofugal flow is rare after liver transplantation. We experienced a case in which hepatofugal portal flow was observed in acute rejection. A 6‐year‐old boy with glycogen storage disease type Ia underwent living‐donor liver transplantation. On postoperative day 7, portal venous peak velocity was markedly decreased without portal thrombosis and obstruction of the hepatic vein, and hepatic arterial peak velocity increased reciprocally. Based on a diagnosis of acute rejection, made on postoperative day 8, we initiated steroid pulse therapy. Despite the employment of this therapy, continuous hepatofugal portal flow was observed in the entire liver on postoperative day 8. On day 12, as the liver disorder progressed, the Doppler waveform in the portal vein changed from continuous to pulsatile hepatofugal flow. The patient died of liver failure on day 14. The histological findings of a biopsy specimen on day 9 showed centrilobular necrosis, while total hepatocellular necrosis was seen at autopsy. Hepatofugal flow after liver transplantation is considered to be an ominous sign caused by several factors, and its appearance indicates a fatal condition.     

Modified techniques for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: Because of critical organ shortage, transplant professionals have utilized living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in recent years. We summarized our experience in adult-to-adult LDLT with grafts of right liver lobe by a modified technique. METHODS: From January 2002 to August 2005, 24 adult patients underwent living donor liver transplantation with grafts of the right liver lobe at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China. Twenty-two patients underwent modi-Bed procedures designed to improve the reconstruction of the right hepatic vein and the tributaries of the middle hepatic vein by interposing a great saphenous vein ( GSV) graft and the anastomosis of the hepatic arteries and bile ducts. RESULTS: No severe complications and death occurred in all donors. In the first 2 patients, (patients 1 and 2), operative procedure was not modified. One patient suffered from "small-for-size syndrome" and the other died of sepsis with progressive deterioration of graft function. In the rest 22 patients (patients 3 to 24), however, the procedure of venous reconstruction was modified, and better results were obtained. Complications occurred in 7 recipients including acute rejection (2 patients), hepatic artery thrombosis (1), bile leakage (1), intestinal bleeding (1), left sub-phrenic abscess (1), and pulmonary infection (1). One patient with pulmonary infection died of multiple organ failure (MOF). The 22 patients underwent direct anastomosis of the right hepatic vein to the inferior vena cava (IVC), 9 direct anastomosis plus the reconstruction of the right inferior hepatic vein, and 10 direct anastomosis plus the reconstruction of the tributaries of the middle hepatic vein by in-terpos-ing a GSV graft to provide sufficient venous outflow. Trifurcation of the portal vein was met in 3 patients. Venoplasty or separate anastomosis was performed. The ratio of graft to recipient body weight ranged from 0.72% to 1.17%. Among these patients, 19 had the ratio <1.0% and 4 <0.8%, and the ratio of graft weight to recipient standard liver volume was between 31.86% and 62.48%. Among these patients, 10 had the ratio <50% and 2 <40%. No "small-for-size syndrome" occurred in the 22 recipients who were subjected to modified procedures. CONCLUSIONS: With the modified surgical techniques for the reconstruction of the hepatic vein to obtain an adequate outflow and provide a sufficient functioning liver mass, living donor liver graft in adults using the right lobe can be safe to prevent the "small-for-size syndrome".     

Life made easy: simplifying reconstruction for dual portal veins in adult right lobe live donor liver transplantation

In live donor liver transplantation, anatomical anomalies of the portal vein are more frequently encountered in right lobe than left lobe grafts. Of these, a dual portal vein is one of the most common anatomical anomalies encountered. We hereby report our method of using a recipient portal vein patch after venoplasty for reconstruction in a right lobe graft with separate anterior and posterior portal vein branches.     

亲体肝移植治疗儿童门静脉海绵样变性3例临床分析

目的 评估亲体肝移植手术治疗儿童门静脉海绵样变性的疗效.方法 3例因反复上消化道大出血、顽固性腹水和脾功能亢进患儿,经门静脉显影、螺旋CT扫描及门静脉三维影像重建技术确诊为门静脉海绵样变性,伴有严重的门静脉高压症患儿,分别于2006年7月、11月和2007年1月施行亲体肝移植术治疗.术后从临床表现、血液学指标和影像学资料等方面对手术疗效进行评价.结果 术后3例患儿中有2例消化道出血停止、腹水消失、门静脉高压症状消失,血红蛋白、红细胞压积、血小板水平和血浆白蛋白等均恢复正常,随访至今无复发;另1例术后3 d因术后门静脉血栓形成死亡. 结论 亲体肝移植可能是治疗儿童门静脉海绵样变性伴严重门静脉高压的有效方法,但门静脉重建是此类疾病进行亲体肝移植手术的难点.     

A new technique for the reconstruction of complex portal vein anomalies in right lobe living liver donors

Living donor liver right lobe transplantation using donors with variation of the right sectorial portal vein is considered a challenging procedure in terms of the donor's safety and the complexity of reconstruction in the recipient. We describe an innovative technique to reconstruct double portal vein orifices via a deceased donor iliac vein graft. The postoperative course of the recipient was uneventful. Doppler ultrasound on the fourth postoperative month revealed equivalent flow in both portal vein branches. Reconstruction of double right portal vein branches using a cryopreserved iliac vein is a valuable technique for utilizing right lobe grafts with challenging portal vein anatomy.     

Left trisegmentectomy and combined resection of the inferior vena cava, without reconstruction, for giant cystadenocarcinoma of the liver

A 54-year-old woman with giant liver cystadenocarcinoma underwent left trisegmentectomy with combined resection of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and the right hepatic vein. As a result, only the right inferior hepatic vein was preserved as a drainage vein. Because the perivertebral plexus and the azygos vein were both well developed, neither veno-venous bypass nor IVC reconstruction was performed. The developed collateral veins acted as the venous drainage pathway to maintain a stable systemic circulation. On the seventh postoperative day, portal vein flow dramatically decreased and the patient tended to liver failure. Prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) was administrated via the superior mesenteric artery. The portal flow then gradually increased and liver failure was avoided. Six months after the operation, she was re-admitted due to obstructive jaundice and presented with complete stenosis of the common bile duct (CBD). The jaundice persisted and liver dysfunction progressed. The patient died seven months after the operation. The confluence of the right inferior vein and the IVC could have been deformed, causing outflow blockade. The intrinsic shunt was not good enough to act as the drainage pathway, and IVC reconstruction may have been needed.     

A surgical solution to extrahepatic portal thrombosis and portal cavernoma: the splanchnic–intrahepatic portal bypass

Three cases of prehepatic portal vein thrombosis, complicated by the clinical manifestations of portal hypertension, were successfully treated by surgically created splanchnic–intrahepatic portal bypass. Two out of three patients had been previously submitted to liver transplantation. No significant morbidity was observed and long-term Doppler evaluations proved the patency of the venous grafts.

Together with the technical aspects of the procedures, the possible role of this technique, primarily proposed by De Ville de Goyet in 1992, is discussed in relation to the available therapies for the extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis.     

First case of cadaveric liver transplantation in Japan

The first case of liver transplantation from a brain-dead donor in Japan is described. The recipient was a 43-year-old man with familial amyloid polyneuropathy who manifested various neuropathic symptoms and autonomic dysfunction at the time of transplantation. The graft had three arteries, for which a single trunk was created at the back table. A side-to-side cavacaval anastomosis was performed as an outflow reconstruction. To avoid portal congestion, a temporary shunt between the right posterior branch of the portal vein and the vena cava was constructed, instead of a venovenous bypass. The graft preservation time was 7.2 h and the operation time was 12.2 h. Although sufficient blood flow in the hepatic artery, portal vein, and hepatic vein was confirmed intra- and postoperatively, using Doppler ultrasound, transient graft dysfunction was observed immediately after surgery, but there was spontaneous improvement. The patient was discharged 100 days after transplantation.     

Hepatic venous outflow obstruction after piggyback liver transplantation by an unusual mechanism： Report of a case

INTRODUCTIONHepatic venous outflow obstruction after piggybackorthotopic liver transplantation is a rare complication[1,2]. However, failure of early recognition and treatment of this complication can result in graft failure and even death of patients. We…     

Gore-Tex jump graft for portal vein thrombosis following living donor liver transplantation

Portal vein thrombosis is a rare surgical complication following liver transplantation, which remains a cause of graft loss and death. We describe here the treatment of portal vein thrombosis following living donor liver transplantation using an extended left lobe graft. The patient was treated with a Gore-Tex vascular jump graft extra-anatomically interposed between the recipient superior mesenteric vein and the donor umbilical vein. This technique allowed the hepatic hilum to be left untouched and supplied suitable blood flow to the hepatic allograft. Our experience suggests that this innovative technical solution can be helpful in the effort to rescue cases of hepatic allograft with vascular complications.     

静脉移植物在成人间活体肝移植中应用的研究

目的研究移植血管在成人间活体右半肝移植（LDLT）中的应用。方法对26例成人间LDLT患者，用大隐静脉重建肝Ⅴ、Ⅷ段肝中静脉粗大属支，及右肝下静脉，用大隐静脉补片修补供体门静脉损伤．狭窄以及肝动脉搭桥。结果利用大隐静咏重建Ⅴ、Ⅷ段肝中静脉粗大属支和右肝下静脉流出道20例，其总的重建率76．9％（20／26），其中重建一支静脉15例，重建两支静脉5例。重建引流的模式和病例数如下：Ⅴ53例，Ⅴ82例，Ⅴ5和Ⅴ83例，V5和右肝下静脉1例，Ⅴ8和右肝下静脉1例，右肝下静脉10例。肝动脉搭桥率11．5％（3／26），肝动脉和腹主动脉间大隐静脉搭桥2例，肝动脉与肝动脉间夫隐静脉搭桥1例。供体门静脉补片1例。所有病例术中和术后随访2～48月，超声检查均未发现血栓，血流通畅。结论自体大隐静脉在LDLT术中重建Ⅴ5、Ⅴ8及右肝下静脉流出道和肝动脉搭桥，能有效预防小肝综合征和动脉并发症。     

Anomalous intrahepatic portal system in a patient with hilar bile duct cancer

We report a case of anomaly of the intrahepatic portal system in a 65-year-old man with hilar bile duct cancer. Preoperatively, percutaneous transhepatic portography demonstrated that there was a right posterior portal vein arising from the main portal vein. In addition, a large portal branch originated from the left portal vein and coursed toward the right hepatic lobe. Following portal embolization of the right posterior branch, the patient underwent an extended right hepatectomy with a caudate lobectomy. Intraoperatively, to the left at the porta hepatis and then it first gave off the right anterior portal vein originated from the left portal vein and coursed toward the right hepatic lobe horizontally behind the gallbladder and then separated into superior and inferior segmental branches to supply the right anterior segment of the liver. The ramification of some major branches without malposition of the gallbladder or round ligament was the important clinical feature of this anomaly.     

Gastric venous congestion and bleeding in association with total pancreatectomy

Background

Gastric venous congestion and bleeding in association with total pancreatectomy (TP) were evaluated.

Methods

Thirty‐eight patients of TP were retrospectively analyzed. TP was classified as TP with distal gastrectomy (TPDG), pylorus‐preserving TP (PPTP), subtotal stomach‐preserving TP (SSPTP), and TP with segmental duodenectomy (TPSD).

Results

Portal vein or superior mesenteric vein resection and reconstruction was performed in 24 patients (62.2%). Gastric bleeding occurred immediately after tumor resection in one of eight patients who underwent SSPTP, and urgent anastomosis between the right gastroepiploic and left ovarian vein stopped the bleeding. Another case of gastric bleeding was observed a few hours after TP in one of nine patients who underwent PPTP, and hemostasis was achieved after conservative therapy. Gastric bleeding was not observed in 16 patients who underwent TPDG and five who underwent TPSD. Some patients underwent preservation of gastric drainage veins (left gastric vein, right gastric vein, or right gastroepiploic vein). Neither patient with bleeding underwent preservation of a gastric drainage vein.

Conclusions

To preserve the subtotal or whole stomach when performing TP, one of the gastric drainage veins should undergo preservation or reconstruction, and anastomosis between the right gastroepiploic vein and left ovarian vein may be beneficial.     

Cavoportal hemitransposition for the simultaneous thrombosis of the caval and portal systems - a review of the literature

Portal venous thrombosis was originally considered to be a contraindication for liver transplantation. Currently, several methods exist to re-establish blood flow to the hepatic portal system. Cavoportal hemitransposition is a surgical procedure that can be used in liver transplantation when the portal venous system is thrombosed and portal flow cannot be re-established from the mesenteric venous system. In cavoportal hemitransposition the blood flow from the inferior vena cava of the recipient is directed to the portal vein of the donor liver to compensate for the lost portal venous supply. This can either be done by end-to-end or end-to-side anastomosis. Seventy-one cases of cavoportal hemitransposition have been reported worldwide. All patients reported had been in a critical and life-threatening condition, presenting with either end-stage-liver disease or acute hepatic failure combined with severe vascular pathology. Of the cases reported, 32 patients died for reasons non-related to the surgical procedure. Seven of the 71 patients had Budd-Chiari syndrome complicated by thrombosis of the portal-venous system. This means thrombosis in two different venous systems at the same time, the mesenteric and main venous system. To date this venous thrombosis of both the caval and portal system has only been reviewed together with the possible medical, radiological and non-transplant treatment options. This article evaluates the available literature and reviews the evolution of the surgical procedure of cavoportal hemitransposition emphasising its role in combined thrombosis of the hepatic veins and portal venous systems.     

肝硬化门静脉血栓形成的危险因素

门静脉血栓(PVT)在肝硬化患者中较常见,合并PVT的静脉曲张更容易出血,止血失败率及再出血率更高,对于肝移植患者,其预后更差。目前PVT形成的相关危险因素较多,如肝功能严重程度、非选择性β受体阻滞剂的使用、门静脉血流速度等。重点对肝硬化PVT形成的危险因素进行综述,以进一步了解PVT形成的相关机制和PVT的危险程度。