Living-donor liver transplantation with renoportal anastomosis for patients with large spontaneous splenorenal shunts

BACKGROUND: End-stage liver disease is often accompanied by large spontaneous splenorenal shunts and thrombosed portal vein. Renoportal anastomosis for spontaneous splenorenal shunts in living-donor liver transplantations is one of the solutions for the treatment of these patients. However, the long-term outcome, portal venous hemodynamics after liver transplantation, and the effects of altering the renal venous drainage remained unknown. METHODS: We performed three living-donor liver transplantations with renoportal anastomosis for the treatment of spontaneous splenorenal shunts between 1999 and 2004. We then evaluated the outcome of this procedure using short- and long-term follow-ups in which the postoperative graft function, renal function, radiological images and portal hemodynamics were examined. RESULTS: All three patients who underwent a living-donor liver transplantation with renoportal anastomosis are alive with normal graft function and a patent renoportal anastomosis. The portal hemodynamics were similar to those in conventional living-donor liver transplantation recipients, and had no harmful effect on allograft function. Left renal function returned to normal after the temporal impairment in two cases, and remained slightly impaired in one, although it was negligible clinically. CONCLUSIONS: Living-donor liver transplantation with renoportal anastomosis for the treatment of spontaneous splenorenal shunts in patients with end-stage liver disease is a life-saving and safe technique and should be discussed as a treatment option for patients with splenorenal shunts.