Biliary complications after adult-to-adult living-donor liver transplantation: An international multicenter study of 3633 cases.

In living-donor liver transplantation, biliary complications including bile leaks and biliary anastomotic strictures remain significant challenges, with incidences varying across different centers. This multicentric retrospective study (2016-2020) included 3633 adult patients from 18 centers and aimed to identify risk factors for these biliary complications and their impact on patient survival. Incidences of bile leaks and biliary strictures were 11.4% and 20.6%, respectively. Key risk factors for bile leaks included multiple bile duct anastomoses (odds ratio, [OR] 1.8), Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (OR, 1.4), and a history of major abdominal surgery (OR, 1.4). For biliary anastomotic strictures, risk factors were ABO incompatibility (OR, 1.4), blood loss >1 L (OR, 1.4), and previous abdominal surgery (OR, 1.7). Patients experiencing biliary complications had extended hospital stays, increased incidence of major complications, and higher comprehensive complication index scores. The impact on graft survival became evident after accounting for immortal time bias using time-dependent covariate survival analysis. Bile leaks and biliary anastomotic strictures were associated with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.7 and 1.8 for graft survival, respectively. The study underscores the importance of minimizing these risks through careful donor selection and preoperative planning, as biliary complications significantly affect graft survival, despite the availability of effective treatments.

Novel Benchmark for Adult-to-Adult Living-donor Liver Transplantation: Integrating Eastern and Western Experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To define benchmark values for adult-to-adult living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). BACKGROUND: LDLT utilizes living-donor hemiliver grafts to expand the donor pool and reduce waitlist mortality. Although references have been established for donor hepatectomy, no such information exists for recipients to enable conclusive quality and comparative assessments. METHODS: Patients undergoing LDLT were analyzed in 15 high-volume centers (≥10 cases/year) from 3 continents over 5 years (2016-2020), with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Benchmark criteria included a Model for End-stage Liver Disease ≤20, no portal vein thrombosis, no previous major abdominal surgery, no renal replacement therapy, no acute liver failure, and no intensive care unit admission. Benchmark cutoffs were derived from the 75th percentile of all centers' medians. RESULTS: Of 3636 patients, 1864 (51%) qualified as benchmark cases. Benchmark cutoffs, including posttransplant dialysis (≤4%), primary nonfunction (≤0.9%), nonanastomotic strictures (≤0.2%), graft loss (≤7.7%), and redo-liver transplantation (LT) (≤3.6%), at 1-year were below the deceased donor LT benchmarks. Bile leak (≤12.4%), hepatic artery thrombosis (≤5.1%), and Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI ® ) (≤56) were above the deceased donor LT benchmarks, whereas mortality (≤9.1%) was comparable. The right hemiliver graft, compared with the left, was associated with a lower CCI ® score (34 vs 21, P < 0.001). Preservation of the middle hepatic vein with the right hemiliver graft had no impact neither on the recipient nor on the donor outcome. Asian centers outperformed other centers with CCI ® score (21 vs 47, P < 0.001), graft loss (3.0% vs 6.5%, P = 0.002), and redo-LT rates (1.0% vs 2.5%, P = 0.029). In contrast, non-benchmark low-volume centers displayed inferior outcomes, such as bile leak (15.2%), hepatic artery thrombosis (15.2%), or redo-LT (6.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Benchmark LDLT offers a valuable alternative to reduce waitlist mortality. Exchange of expertise, public awareness, and centralization policy are, however, mandatory to achieve benchmark outcomes worldwide.

Anatomical variations of left hepatic vein and outflow reconstruction techniques in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Anatomical variations of left hepatic vein are observed in nearly a third of left lateral segment (LLS) donors in living donor liver transplantation. However, there is a paucity of studies and no structured algorithm for customized outflow reconstruction in LLS grafts with variant anatomy. Analysis of a prospectively collected database of 296 LLS pediatric living donor liver transplantation was done to identify different venous drainage patterns of segments 2 (V2) and 3 (V3). Left hepatic vein anatomy was classified into 3 types: type 1 (n = 270, 91.2%): V2 and V3 joined to form a common trunk which drains into the middle hepatic vein/inferior vena cava (IVC), subtype 1a length of trunk ≥9 mm and subtype 1b length of trunk <9 mm; type 2(n = 6, 2%): V2 and V3 drain independently into IVC; type 3 (n = 20, 6.8%): V2 and V3 drain into IVC and middle hepatic vein respectively. Analysis of postoperative outcomes between LLS grafts with single and reconstructed multiple outflows showed no difference in the occurrence of hepatic vein thrombosis/stenosis, major morbidity (P = .91), and 5-year survival (log-rank P = .562). This classification is a simple yet effective tool for preoperative donor assessment, and we propose a schema for the customized reconstruction of LLS grafts with excellent and consistently reproducible outcomes.

Feasibility and Safety of Split-Liver Transplantation in a Nascent Framework of Deceased Donation.

Split-liver transplantation (SLT) is a valuable option for optimizing the use of good-quality deceased donor grafts. It is not routinely reported outside the West because of limited deceased donor numbers, technical and organizational constraints, lack of experience, and a predominant living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) practice. At our center, 20% of the liver transplantations (LTs) are from deceased donors. We report our experience of SLT and compare outcomes with pediatric and adult LDLT recipients. A prospectively maintained database of all LT recipients between September 2009 and March 2017 was analyzed. Each pediatric SLT recipient was matched to 2 pediatric LDLT recipients for age, weight, urgency, and year of transplant. Each adult SLT recipient was similarly matched to 2 adult LDLT recipients for age, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and year of transplant. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters, including recovery time, morbidity (biliary and vascular complications, Clavien grade >IIIA complications), and mortality were compared. In total, 40 SLTs were performed after splitting 20 deceased donor livers (in situ, n = 11; hybrid split, n = 3; and ex vivo, n = 6). Recipients included 22 children and 18 adults. There were 18 livers that were split conventionally (extended right lobe and left lateral segment [LLS]), and 2 were right lobe-left lobe SLTs. Also, 3 LLS grafts were used as auxiliary grafts for metabolic liver disease. Perioperative mortality in SLT recipients occurred in 3 patients (2 children and 1 adult). Incidence of vascular, biliary, and Clavien grade >IIIA complications were similar between matched adult and pediatric SLT and LDLT groups. In conclusion, SLT is an effective technique with outcomes comparable to living donor grafts for adult and pediatric recipients. Using SLT techniques at centers with limited deceased donors optimizes the use of good-quality whole grafts and reduces the gap between organ demand and availability.

Liver transplantation for inferior vena cava leiomyosarcoma: from a Maslow's hammer to the Occam's razor.

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of primary vascular origin is a rare entity with only potentially curative option being complete surgical resection; despite which the prognosis remains dismal. Tumour recurrence is very common, and the benefits of adjuvant therapy are undefined. A 39-year-old woman presented with 6 months' history of abdominal pain, abdominal distension and pedal oedema. On evaluation, she was diagnosed to have chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) secondary to a tumour arising from the inferior vena cava (IVC) on evaluation. Her liver decompensation included jaundice, gastrointestinal bleed and ascites. Following a detailed multidisciplinary team discussion, she underwent complete excision of the tumour along with a segment of the IVC with living donor liver transplantation. She remains disease-free 24 months following surgery. This is the first reported case of liver transplantation for IVC LMS causing chronic BCS.