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.