Donation After Cardiac Death in Liver Transplantation: An Additional Source of Organs With Similar Results to Donation After Brain Death.

BACKGROUND: As new sources of organs are needed, liver transplantation using donors after cardiac death (DCD) is progressively increasing, but outcomes with this method are still questioned. This study was accomplished to verify that DCD outcomes are comparable to those seen in donation after brain death (DBD). METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study including 100 liver transplantation performed between 2014 and 2017, divided according to donor type in 75 DBD and 25 DCD. RESULTS: DCD donors were younger (mean age: DCD 56 years, DBD 59 years; P = .009). Mean Modified End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was lower for DCD (DCD 16, DBD 19; P < .001). No differences were found regarding ischemia times and development of postreperfusion syndrome or coagulopathy. Primary graft dysfunction was more frequent in DCD (60%, DCD 29.3%; P = .006). Rates of primary graft nonfunction (DCD 0%, DBD 1.3%; P = .562) and acute rejection (DCD 20%, DBD 16.4%; P = .685) were similar. Acute kidney injury occurred more often in DBD (DCD 32%, DBD 12%; P = .051). Length of stay was comparable. Rates of biliary complications (DCD 20%, DBD 26.7%; P = .505) were similar, unlike ischemic cholangiopathy (DCD 12%, DBD 1.3%; P = .018). Retransplantation rates were also similar (DCD 8%, DBD 4%; P = .427) as was survival rate after 3 years (DCD 84%, DBD 86.7%; P = .739). CONCLUSION: DCD represents an additional graft source with results that are encouraging and may be comparable to DBD with a careful donor and recipient selection.

Combined Flush With Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate and University of Wisconsin Solutions in Liver Transplantation: Preliminary Results.

INTRODUCTION: Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is the main cause of early allograft dysfunction (EAD) and subsequent primary allograft failure (PAF). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to compare IRI, EAD, and PAF in liver transplantation in a cohort of patients perfused with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution and University of Wisconsin (UW) solution versus HTK alone. METHODS: A randomized trial was performed to compare outcomes in liver recipients who underwent transplantation surgery in the University Regional Hospital of Malaga, Spain. Forty patients were randomized to two groups. Primary endpoints included IRI, EAD, PAF, re-intervention, acute cellular rejection, retransplantation, arterial complications, and biliary complications at postoperative day 90. RESULTS: Postoperative glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (1869.15 ± 1559.75 UI/L vs. 953.15 ± 777.27 UI/L; P = .004) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (1333.60 ± 1115.49 U/L vs. 721.70 ± 725.02 U/L; P = .023) were significantly higher in patients perfused with HTK alone. A clear tendency was observed in recipients perfused with HTK alone to present moderate to severe IRI (7 patients in the HTK + UW solution group vs. 15 patients in the HTK-alone solution group; P = .06), EAD (0 patients in the HTK + UW solution group vs. 0 patients in the HTK-alone solution group; P = .76), and PAF (3 patients in the HTK + UW solution group vs. 8 patients in the HTK-alone solution group; P = .15). CONCLUSIONS: Initial perfusion with HTK solution followed by UW solution in liver transplantation improves early liver function as compared to perfusion with HTK alone.

Up-to-7 Criteria for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Analysis of Experiences.

INTRODUCTION: The expansion of criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) liver transplantation should produce satisfactory outcomes in terms of survival and recurrence. OBJECTIVES: To investigate if the up-to-7 criteria are applicable to liver transplantation for HCC. METHODS: A review of all liver transplantations performed at our unit between January 2002 and December 2010 was conducted (645 patients). The 91 patients of the sample who had HCC were divided into 3 groups: in Milan criteria (MC; n = 74), in up-to-7 criteria (UTSC; n = 12), and outside of up-to-7 criteria (OUTSC; n = 5). A descriptive retrospective study was carried out to analyze the characteristics of liver tumors and recipients and to estimate recurrence and survival rates for this population of patients. RESULTS: The characteristics of transplant recipients of the 3 groups were comparable. Statistically significant differences were observed in the number of tumors (1 ± 0.65 for MC, 3 ± 1.05 for UTSC, 6 ± 4.10 for OUTSC; P < .001), largest tumor size (2.47 ± 1.12 cm for MC, 3.78 ± 0.04 cm for UTSC, 4.04 ± 1.73 cm for OUTSC; P < .001), and recurrence (5.4% for MC; 33.3% for UTSC; 20% for OUTSC; P = .008). Survival rates (MC, UTSC, and OUTSC) at 3 and 5 years were 71.6%, 66.7%, and 60%, and 58.1%, 58.3%, and 40%, respectively, whereas tumor-free survival rates were 70.3%, 58.3%, and 60%, and 58.1%, 50%, and 40%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Survival in patients with HCC transplanted under up-to-7 criteria is acceptable. However, the expansion of criteria involves an increase in the number of patients included in the waiting list and a higher probability of relapse.

Acute Liver Failure Caused by Primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Liver.

INTRODUCTION: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare syndrome involving maximum liver dysfunction. This disease is characterized by a less than 26-week history of coagulopathy (INR ≥1.5) and hepatic encephalopathy and generally occurs in patients without any previously known disease. METHODS: We report the case of a healthy 25-year-old subject who presented with fulminant liver failure caused by a primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the liver that required emergency liver transplantation. Diagnosis was based on pathologic confirmation of T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma and submassive hepatocyte necrosis. One year after surgery, the patient remains in complete remission. CONCLUSIONS: Fulminant liver failure is a sudden-onset severe disease that can be caused by a primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the liver, which accounts for <1% of extranodal lymphomas. The diagnosis of this rare disease demands high diagnostic suspicion, and progression can be prevented through liver transplantation.

Impact of Liver Graft Transport on Postoperative Results and Short-Term Liver Survival.

BACKGROUND: The Andalusian community has a specific management model of liver transplantation with a common waiting list, forcing transportation of 45% of hepatic grafts. These trips within the community have been made exclusively via expressway since 2012, sometimes surpassing 400 km in distance. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of graft transportation on our community regarding postoperative results, primary dysfunction, and short-term graft survival. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study that included 110 patients recipients of liver transplants from 2009 to 2012. Group A (n = 53) were patients transplanted with grafts removed in Malaga, and group B (n = 57) were patients with transported grafts. RESULTS: In group B, significant increments in total and cold ischemia time (TIT and CIT) were found. We found a significant higher increase, mostly in 2012, in TIT and CIT in the greater transportation distance subgroup (>150 km). In postoperative variables analysis, differences were found in the bilirubin levels the 1st postoperative day, alkaline phosphatase levels the 1st and 3rd days, and factor V in the 1st day in favor of the nontransported grafts. In the multivariable analysis transport and distance travelled in km presented a relationship with the 1st day bilirubin levels and the primary dysfunction of the graft. CONCLUSIONS: Our results point to graft transportation having an influence on primary dysfunction and graft survival. This relationship can be multifaceted and influenced by currently unknown factors. This is a factor to consider regarding liver transplant management strategy decisions.

Results of Liver Transplantation With Donors Older than 75 Years: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: The inclusion of elderly donors can increase the pool of organs available for transplantation. The objective of this study was to compare clinical outcomes and survival rates of patients who received livers from donors aged ≥75 years versus younger donors. METHODS: We considered all liver transplantations performed in our unit from January 2006 to January 2015. Thirty-two patients received a liver from a cadaveric donor aged ≥75 years (study group), and their outcomes were compared with those of patients who received a liver from a younger donor (control group) immediately before and after each transplantation in the study group. This is a descriptive, retrospective, case-control study carried out to analyze the characteristics of donors and recipients as well as the clinical course and survival of recipients of older and younger donors. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed according to donors' age (53.3 ± 13.6 vs 79 ± 3.4 years; P < .001). In total, 6.2% of the recipients of a liver from a donor aged <75 years required retransplantation versus 15.6% of recipients of donors ≥75 years. Patient survivals at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, were 89%, 78.6%, and 74.5% for recipients of donors <75 years versus 83.4%, 79.4%, and 59.6% for the study group. CONCLUSIONS: Livers from older donors can be safely used for transplantation with acceptable survival rates. However, survival rates are lower for recipients of livers from older donors compared with younger donors, and survival only increased with retransplantation.

Liver transplantation without abdominal drainage.

This observational cohort compared 70 consecutive liver transplantations (OLT) with no intra-abdominal drain and 70 control subjects C with an intra-abdominal drain who were operated immediately prior to them. We sought to assess the impact of abdominal drainage on the diagnosis and prevention of early postoperative complications of hemoperitoneum, reinterventions, biliary leaks or percutaneous drainage. We assessed variables related to the recipient (age, indication, pretransplant ascites, body mass index, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, and rejection episodes, to the donor (age, steatosis and, ischemia time) as well as intra- and postoperative factors (surgery time, blood product use, and coagulopathy). The endpoint was defined as the need for a reintervention, postoperative paracentesis, appearance/drainage of collections, as well as lengths of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays. Postoperative ICU and in-hospital stay were similar between the groups (3.6 versus 3.7 days and 12 versus 14 days respectively). Six patients in the drainage group were reoperated due to hemoperitoneum, whereas it was one in the cohort without drainage. Three patients presented a biliary fistula, two in the group without drainage, and one in the drainage group. One patient in the drainage group required percutaneous drainage of an intra-abdominal collection. The need for postoperative paracentesis was greater among the group without drainage (30% versus 6%; P < .008) and among those with a preoperative ascites > 1000 mL (38%). Patients with drainage displayed a greater incidence of perihepatic hematomas upon ultrasound (50% versus 22%, P < .008) and required more postoperative blood products, especially plasma (P < .01). In conclusion, OLT without intra- abdominal drainage is safe and does not increase morbidity. It seems likely that drainage may be responsible for intra-abdominal hematomas and greater consumption of blood products.

Is liver transplantation without abdominal drainage safe?

UNLABELLED: This observational, analytical cohort consisted of 35 consecutive liver transplant (OLT) patients with no intra-abdominal drain and a control cohort of 35 subjects operated immediately before the former who had placement of an intra-abdominal drain. We sought to assess the impact of abdominal drainage on the diagnosis and prevention of early postoperative complications: hemoperitoneum, reinterventions, biliary leaks, or percutaneous drainage. We assessed variables related to the recipient (age, indication, pretransplant ascites, body mass index, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and rejection), the donor (age, steatosis, ischemia time) and intra- and postoperative factors (surgery time, blood product use, and coagulopathy). The end point was defined as the need for a reintervention, paracentesis, appearance, and drainage of collections as well as lengths of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays. The postoperative ICU and in-hospital stays were similar between groups (3.7 vs 3.9 days and 12 vs 14 days, respectively). Two patients in the group with drainage were reoperated due to hemoperitoneum, whereas we did not reoperate any patients in the group without drainage. No patient from either group developed a biliary fistula or required drainage of an intra-abdominal collections. The need for paracentesis was greater among the group without drainage (23% vs 5.7%; P < .04) and among those with a prior history of severe ascites. Patients with drainage displayed a greater incidence of perihepatic hematomas by ultrasound (53% vs 21%; P < .08) and required more postoperative blood products, especially platelets (P > .04) and plasma (P < .01). CONCLUSION: OLT without intra-abdominal drainage is safe, not increasing morbidity. It seems likely that drainage may be responsible for intra-abdominal hematomas and greater consumption of blood products.

An alternative method of reconstruction of hepatic venous outflow in domino liver transplantation.

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. We describe an alternative method of reconstruction of hepatic venous outflow, in which a neocaval segment is obtained using both common iliac veins from the cadaveric donor.

Adverse effects on the lipid profile of immunosuppressive regimens: tacrolimus versus cyclosporin measured using C2 levels.

Immunosuppression has improved graft and recipient survival in transplantation but is accompanied by several adverse effects like dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Herein, we performed an observational, descriptive study to analyze the relationship of dyslipemia (hypercholesterolemia [hypercho] and hypertriglyceridemia [hypertg]) and cardiovascular disease with two different immunosuppressive regimens in liver transplantation: cyclosporine treatment based upon C2 levels (CsA2) and tacrolimus (Tac), both in combination with steroids. Seventy-four liver transplantation patients were included during a 2-year period: 35 with CsA2 and 39 with Tac. The mean follow-up was 40 months. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age, gender, Model for End-stage Liver Disease Score, Child stage, and indication for transplantation. The distribution of patients with HyperCho and HyperTg was independent of the immunosuppressive agent (P = NS), both in a global and in a stratified analysis at 6, 12, 24, and 60 months. The analysis of cardiovascular events revealed no differences between the groups (CsA2 14.3%; Tac 18.9%; P = NS). We suggest that CsA monitoring using C2 levels shows a safety profile similar to that of Tac with regard to the development of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular events.

Influence of immunosuppression and effect of hepatitis C virus on new onset of diabetes mellitus in liver transplant recipients.

INTRODUCTION: New-onset posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM), with an incidence of 10% to 30%, increased graft and patient morbidity and mortality. Such causal factors as age, obesity, therapy, immunosuppression, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) contribute to this disease. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the incidence of PTDM and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) concentration in transplant recipients to define the causal variables. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 127 patients. Patients with pretransplantation diabetes and those with less than 6 months of follow-up were excluded. A descriptive observational study to assess the association between PTDM and IFG and the immunosuppression therapy used was performed by monitoring the potential confounding variables of age, obesity, and HCV. RESULTS: During mean follow-up of 73.7 months (range, 7-120 mo), 93 patients received cyclosporine A (CyA) and 34 received tacrolimus (Tac) therapy. Thirty patients (23.6%) developed PTDM or IFG including 15 (16%; PTDM, six IFG, nine) in the CyA group and 15 (PTDM, seven; IFG, eight) in the Tacrolimus group (P = .001; odds ratio [OR], 4.1). They were homogeneous with respect to confounding variables except for HCV (P = .01). Of the 55 patients with HCV infection, 12 developed PTDM or IFG, including three in the CyA group and nine in the tacrolimus group (P = .03; OR, 7.7), whereas in the 72 patients without HCV infection, the CyA or tacrolimus association with PTDM or IFG was significant (P = .05), Mantel-Haenszel test; OR, 4.9). The interaction between HCV and immunosuppression therapy was primarily produced in the IFG group (HCV-positive; P = .008; OR, 8). CONCLUSION: We observed an association between the use of tacrolimus and the development of PTDM or IFG. There is greater risk in HCV-positive patients, in particular in relation to IFG. The choice of immunosuppressive treatment might be decided on the basis of the patient's pretransplantation status.

Transfusion requirements during liver transplantation: impact of a temporary portacaval shunt.

UNLABELLED: We evaluated the consumption of blood products during liver transplantation in cirrhotic patients association with the placement of a temporary portacaval shunt (TPCS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively divided 349 cirrhotic patients transplanted in our unit between March 1997 and October 2005 into two groups: transplants without a TPCS (group I, 189 cases) and those with a TPCS (group II, 160 cases). In all cases, we preserved the inferior vena cava (piggyback). The dependent variables were consumption of blood-derived products (banked red cells, recovered red cells, fresh frozen plasma, platelets), surgery time, kidney function, intensive care unit stay, and hospital stay. RESULTS: Consumption of blood products was significantly lower among patients who received a TPCS. In group II, no platelet transfusion was required in 54% of the patients, and no banked red cells in 12% compared with 18% and 3%, respectively, among group I patients (P < .005). The mean overall transplant procedure time was 74 minutes shorter in group II (361 minutes) compared with group I (435 minutes) (P < .001). The overall hospital stay was shorter among patients transplanted after TPCS. CONCLUSION: Liver transplantation with a TPCS was accompanied by a reduction in the intraoperative use of blood-derived products, especially platelet transfusion. Among other advantages, this reduction resulted in a shorter posttransplant hospital stay.

[Pancreatic cystic metastasis from pulmonary carcinoma. Report of a case]. / Metastasi cistica pancreatica da carcinoma polmonare. Presentazione di un caso.

We report the case of a patients with a metachronous cystic pancreatic metastasis from an undifferentiated large cell lung carcinoma two years after the primary tumor had been surgically removed. Clinically, he presented with epigastric pain, fever, weakness and anorexia. The patient was operated and a palliative cystogastrostomy was performed after an intraoperative biopsy had been informed as positive for carcinoma. Six months later the patient died. Pancreatic metastases from lung carcinoma are found in approximately 7-9% of patients deceased of this neoplasm. Clinical and radiological findings simulate primary pancreatic tumors, being epigastric pain, jaundice and upper digestive bleeding the most frequent symptoms. They represent stages of advanced systemic disseminated tumoral disease, and because of this reason total or partial surgical curative resections will only be performed in a few cases of patients with isolated metastasis, criteria of resectability and without evidence of extended disease to other organs or systems. In the most of the cases, the treatment will only be palliative, even medical or surgical.