The impact of meticulous management for hepatic artery thrombosis on long‐term outcome after pediatric living donor liver transplantation*

Abstract: To analyze the risk factors in the development of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) and assess the impact of our perioperative management for HAT on the long‐term outcome after pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we reviewed 382 patients under 12 yr of age who underwent 403 LDLT from January 1996 to December 2005. One‐ and 10‐yr patient survival rates were 78% and 78% in the patients with HAT (27 patients; 6.7%), and 84% and 76% in the patients without HAT, respectively (p = n.s.). Univariate analysis showed gender (female), body weight (lower), and graft‐to‐recipient weight ratio (higher) were significant risk factors in the patients with HAT (p < 0.05). Patients with Doppler ultrasound signal loss of the hepatic artery (HA) accompanied by an increase of liver enzymes underwent thrombectomy and reanastomosis (S‐group, n = 13), and patients with a weak HA signal underwent anticoagulant therapy (M‐group, n = 13). One patient underwent re‐LDLT. One‐ and five‐yr patient survival rates were 83% and 83% in the S‐group, and 77% and 77% in the M‐group (p = n.s.). The incidence of biliary complications in the S‐group (58%) was significantly higher than that of the M‐group (15%). For a successful long‐term outcome, the early detection of HAT and prompt medical and surgical intervention are crucial to minimize the insult of HAT.