Auxiliary liver transplantation with arterialization of the portal vein for acute hepatic failure

Six adult patients suffering from acute hepatic failure and with a high urgent status underwent heterotopic auxiliary liver transplantation. In four of these patients, the portal vein of the liver graft was arterialized in order to leave the native liver and the liver hilum untouched and to be able to place the liver graft wherever space was available in the abdomen. The arterial blood flow via the portal vein was tapered by the width of the anastomosis. Two patients died, one of sepsis on postoperative day 17 (POD), the other after 3 months due to a severe CMV pneumonia. There were no technically related deaths. The native liver showed early regeneration in all cases. In one patient, the auxiliary graft was removed 6 weeks after transplantation. Four weeks later, he had to undergo orthotopic retransplantation due to a recurrent fulminant failure of the recovered native liver. This patient is alive more than 1 year after the operation. We conclude that heterotopic auxiliary liver transplantation with portal vein arterialization is a suitable approach to bridging the recovery of the acute failing native liver. Received: 15 September 1997 Received after revision: 4 February 1998 Accepted: 2 March 1998