Orthotopic liver transplantation without venovenous bypass: 125 cases from a single center.

AIM: This study analyzed a 10-year single-center experience in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) without venovenous bypass (VVB). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed a nonrandomized series (1999-2008) of 125 adult OLT patients without VVB. RESULTS: The main causes of liver failure were viral hepatitis (n = 39), alcoholic liver disease (n = 22), and liver cancer (n = 17). One-year survival was 76.4%. The most common postoperative complications were bile duct stenosis (n = 12), postoperative bleeding (n = 8), hepatic artery thrombosis (n = 7), and primary liver failure (n = 6). Twelve patients required hemodialysis and four underwent retransplantations of the liver. Fourteen patients died before postoperative day 30(th). Univariate analysis showed significant differences between patients who did and did not survive 30 days among donor death diagnoses (P = .05), red blood cell units transfused (P = .03), aspartate aminotranferase on the first postoperative day (P = .002), ABO type (P = .04), time of orotracheal intubation (P = .001), hemodialysis (P = .001), and period of postoperative vasoactive drug use (P = .006). The total length of orotracheal tube intubation showed a significant independent association with mortality before 30 days (P < .001). CONCLUSION: OLT without VVB can be safely performed even in severe cases of chronic liver failure.

Orthotopic liver transplantation without venovenous bypass using the conventional and piggyback techniques.

INTRODUCTION: Orthotopic liver transplantation is a widely used procedure for the treatment of irreversible liver diseases for which there is no possibility of medical treatment. When this procedure is performed by the conventional technique, the retrohepatic vena cava is removed along with the native liver. The inferior vena cava (IVC) remains clamped until the revascularization of the graft, and in this period there is a reduction in the venous return, which may induce a fall by up to 50% in the cardiac output with hemodynamic instability and a fall in renal perfusion pressure. The use of a portal-femoral-axillary venovenous bypass system, in which the blood from the femoral and portal veins returns to the heart via the axillary vein propelled by a centrifugal pump, is intended to minimize the effects of the IVC clamping. In the piggyback (PB) technique, the native liver is removed and the IVC of the recipient is preserved and only partially clamped. We have employed both techniques without the use of venovenous bypass for 10 years. The objective of this study was to compare the results obtained from the use of the two techniques. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of 195 patients transplanted between 1999 and 2008: 125 by the conventional technique and 70, the PB technique. The intraoperative parameters were analyzed (surgical time, ischemia time, use of blood products, and diuresis), as well as intensive care support (duration of stay in intensive care unit and use of vasoactive drugs), period of intubation, length of hospital stay, renal function, graft function, postoperative complications, retransplantation, and patient survival. RESULTS: The PB group showed a reduction in surgical time, warm ischemia time, the use of packed red blood cells concentrates, and fresh frozen plasma, as well as mortality at 30 days (P<.05). There were no differences in relation to cold ischemia time, intraoperative diuresis; length of stay and use of vasoactive drugs in the intensive care unit; the period of intubation; the duration of hospital stay; the renal function; the graft function; the need for reoperation; the incidence of sepsis, biliary complications, vascular complications; need for retransplantation; and 1-year mortality. The cumulative survival rate at 1 year was significantly better among the PB patients. CONCLUSION: Orthotopic liver transplantation can be performed without venovenous bypass with good results, using either the conventional technique or the PB technique. Provided that there is no technical contraindication and a long ischemia period is not foreseen, the PB technique should be the technique of choice.

Survival on waiting list for liver transplantation before and after introduction of the model for end-stage liver disease score.

BACKGROUND: Since July 2006, the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score has served as the national basis for allocation of donor livers for transplantation in Brazil. Patients with higher MELD scores receive greater priority for allocation regardless of the time on the waiting list. PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of MELD score implementation on the survival of waiting list patients. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients registered at the national Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) for the liver transplantation waiting list between January 2004 and June 2006 (pre-MELD) and between July 2006 and December 2008 (post-MELD). RESULTS: We included listed patients awaiting liver transplantation in the pre-MELD era (n = 250, 48.4%) and in the post-MELD era (n = 266, 51.6%). The times awaiting transplant prior to and after the MELD system were 487.2 +/- 384.8 days and 183.9 +/- 157.2 days, respectively. Prior to the MELD score, waiting list survivals were greater when compared to rates in the current system. Early posttransplant patient survival rates were significantly reduced in the post-MELD era (83.4%) compared to the period before MELD implementation (93.2%). CONCLUSIONS: MELD score provides a transparent, objective system to drive allocation policy; however, it presents several important limitations. Constant need of changes and reevaluation are needed as an evolutionary process. Future changes in the present system may be addressed by adjusting the MELD system.

Reconstruction of venous outflow of domino liver graft using deceased donor iliac/cava veins.

The double piggyback technique has been proposed for domino liver transplantation. To make this possible, it is necessary to reconstruct the venous outflow of the domino liver graft on the back table. The authors describe the technical details of this procedure in three consecutive cases. A deceased donor cava-iliac bifurcation segment was used. The iliac veins were anastomosed to the ostia of the right and middle-left hepatic veins, and the graft cava vein was anastomosed to the ostium of the three hepatic veins of the recipient. In all cases anatomic compatibility was observed; the outcome of the patients was satisfactory.

Case report: spontaneous rupture of the spleen due to dengue fever

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen has been described in cases of hematologic, neoplasic and infectious diseases, or resulting from pancreatitis. We report a rare case of spontaneous splenic rupture, and favorable evolution after splenectomy, in a patient with dengue fever, which occurred during the last outbreak of dengue fever in Brazil.

Case report: spontaneous rupture of the spleen due to dengue fever.

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen has been described in cases of hematologic, neoplasic and infectious diseases, or resulting from pancreatitis. We report a rare case of spontaneous splenic rupture, and favorable evolution after splenectomy, in a patient with dengue fever, which occurred during the last outbreak of dengue fever in Brazil.