ABSTRACT
Portal vein thrombosis is a common complication in patients with cirrhosis and a challenge for the transplant team. Not so long ago, portal vein thrombosis was considered an absolute contraindication for liver transplant, but improvements in surgical techniques have overcome this problem in many transplant centers around the world. Here, we present the case of a 52-year-old female patient with cirrhosis from a primary biliary cholangitis and a complex portal vein thrombosis. She underwent a deceased donor liver transplant with a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease of 40. The portal thrombosis was handled using a portosystemic shunt from the splenic vein to the left ovarian vein, which was visualized on a computed tomography scan performed as part of the study protocol. The donor was a 52-year-old woman with brain death secondary to a vascular cerebral accident. A caval replacement technique was used with no complications during surgery. For the portal anastomosis, the dilated left ovarian vein was carefully dissected and brought through the lesser sac, behind the stomach, to obtain a suitable length. An end-to-end anastomosis of the graft portal vein to the left ovarian vein was performed with a 6-0 Prolene running suture. An abdominal computed tomography scan was performed 6 months after liver transplant showing patency of portal vein and no anastomotic defects, and after 24 months of follow-up the patient is in good clinical condition with normal laboratory values and Doppler ultrasonography with no vascular anomalies and adequate portal flow. To our knowledge, the use of a spleno-ovarian shunt has not been reported as an alternative for portal reconstruction in a case of thrombosis.
Subject(s)
End Stage Liver Disease , Liver Diseases , Liver Transplantation , Thrombosis , Venous Thrombosis , End Stage Liver Disease/etiology , Female , Humans , Liver Cirrhosis/complications , Liver Diseases/complications , Liver Transplantation/adverse effects , Liver Transplantation/methods , Living Donors , Middle Aged , Portal Vein/diagnostic imaging , Portal Vein/surgery , Severity of Illness Index , Thrombosis/etiology , Treatment Outcome , Venous Thrombosis/diagnostic imaging , Venous Thrombosis/etiology , Venous Thrombosis/surgeryABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A short right renal vein (RRV) remains a challenge for renal transplant surgery, especially in the living donor. Different techniques exist to obtain an RRV with a suitable length in cadaveric donor; however, in living donors the options are limited. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present 2 living kidney transplants in which we obtained a very short RRV, making the implantation very difficult. We describe our technique to overcome this problem by using cadaveric iliac vessels retrieved from previous cadaveric donations and preserved at 4°C in histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution, without intraoperative or postoperative complications. We complied with the Helsinki Congress and the Istanbul Declaration regarding the donor source. RESULTS: In both cases, kidney grafts had optimal primary function, with good creatinine clearance after transplant and good patency of vascular anastomosis by Doppler ultrasounds. CONCLUSIONS: We believe the use of cadaveric vessel grafts in living donor kidney transplant is a valuable resource as a rescue tool in emergency situations like the ones being presented in this article in order to avoid discarding a kidney graft with damage or short vessels. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Subject(s)
Iliac Artery/transplantation , Kidney Transplantation/methods , Living Donors , Renal Veins , Allografts , Cadaver , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
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