The outcome of living donor liver transplantation with prior spontaneous large portasystemic shunts

Transpl Int. 2008 Feb;21(2):156-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-2277.2007.00593.x. Epub 2007 Nov 12.

Abstract

We investigated the outcome of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) with prior spontaneous large portasystemic shunts. Thirty-three patients of 155 patients (21.2%) undergoing LDLT had spontaneous large portasystemic shunts. Portal venous hemodynamics, surgical procedures for shunts, and morbidity and mortality rates were investigated in three types of shunts: splenorenal shunt (SRS group; n = 11), shunt derived from coronary vein (CVS group; n = 6) and umbilical vein shunt (UVS group; n = 15). The two groups of patients (SRS/CVS) received prophylactic surgical repair of shunts during LDLT except for one patient in the SRS group. The flow direction of main portal vein and grade of steal of superior mesenteric vein flow by shunt were significantly different among three groups. No significant differences were observed among three groups in operative parameters, hospitalization and morbidity except for postoperative portal complication. There was no significant difference in the actuarial survival rate among three groups of SRS, CVS and UVS (81.8% vs. 83.3% vs. 86.6% at 1 year respectively). In the SRS group, two patients had postoperative steal of graft portal venous flow by residual SRS that needed further treatment. The outcome of LDLT with prior spontaneous large portasystemic shunts is satisfactory, despite the complexity of the transplant procedures.

MeSH terms

  • Coronary Vessels / physiopathology
  • Coronary Vessels / surgery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liver Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Liver Transplantation* / mortality
  • Living Donors*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Portal System / physiopathology*
  • Portal Vein / physiopathology
  • Portal Vein / surgery
  • Regional Blood Flow
  • Splenic Vein / physiopathology
  • Splenic Vein / surgery
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Umbilical Veins / physiopathology
  • Umbilical Veins / surgery