Pediatric living donor liver transplantation: a study on 45 patients / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyse our clinical experience in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (PLDLT).Methods The clinical data of 45 patients who underwent PLDLT in our hospital from April 2005 to April 2014 were retrospectively studied and their preoperative,intraoperative and postoperative data were analyzed.Results All donors recovered well.The graft to recipient weight ratio (GRWR) ranged from 1.0％ ～ 6.4％ (2.5％ ± 1.2％).Size reduction of graft were performed in 2 patients.An interposition venous conduit from the confluence of the native right and left portal vein (PV) to the graft PV was carried out in 1 patient,venous grafts for revascularization of the tributaries of the middle hepatic vein from segment Ⅴ and Ⅷ were used in 3 patients,and a venous patch for revascularization of the left hepatic vein was used in 2 patients.Hepatic artery re-reconstruction was performed in 3 patients after hypoperfusion was detected on intraoperative Doppler ultrasound.The postoperative complications included acute rejection (n =2),vascular complications (n =7),biliary complications (n =11),and infectious complications (n =27).The 1-,2-and 5-year survival rates were all 84.4％.Seven of 45 recipients died within one year post transplantation,with 3 patients who died of vascular complications,and 4 patients who died of infection.The differences in age [(50.8 ± 49.8) months vs (12.6 ± 14.9) months],body weight [(16.2 ± 10.5) kg vs (7.3 ± 1.7) kg],serum total bilirubin [(177.0 ± 126.5) μmol/L vs (301.9 ± 110.6)μmol/L],Pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) score (16.1 ± 12.1 vs 26.2 ± 11.3) and GRWR (2.2％ ± 0.8％ vs 4.2％ ± 1.6％) between the survival and the dead groups were significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions PLDLT is an effective method to treat children with end-stage liver disease.Using a multidisciplinary approach in the preoperative management,excellent surgical techniques,and proper postoperative management are extremely helpful to improve postoperative survival rate.