Histological subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma: Their clinical and prognostic significance.

Assigning a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to an appropriate subtype is important because this guarantees the diagnosis and treatment and allows decisions regarding the prognosis of the patient. HCC subtyping is usually based on the World Health Organization (WHO) classification and the 2019 fifth edition is the latest version. However, the WHO classification system is still in evolution and has limited clinical relevance. We aimed to evaluate the clinical relevance of HCC subtyping and to reappraise some of the major subtypes of HCC. Our archived cases (n = 589) were reclassified according to the 2019 WHO system. The percentage of each subtype was mostly similar to that in the WHO classification. However, on the contrary to the 2019 WHO system, clear cell type HCC was associated with more frequent recurrence or metastasis. Meanwhile, macrotrabecular massive HCC was related to poor prognosis as demonstrated in the 2019 WHO system and should be described in the pathology report. For steatohepatitic HCC, there is a debate on whether it is a true subtype because the steatohepatitis morphology may or may not be present in the background liver. In our study, 44 % of steatohepatitic HCCs (n = 19/43) presented underlying steatohepatitis. Additionally, the background cirrhosis did not influence survival in the HCC patients, although the 2019 WHO system indicates the presence of cirrhosis as a poor prognostic factor. In conclusion, although it is not perfect yet, HCC subtyping based on the 2019 WHO system provides valuable information to manage patients with HCC.

Technical factors that minimize the occurrence of early graft failure in pancreas transplantation.

Pancreatic transplantation is the only treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes resulting in long-term euglycemia without exogenous insulin. However, pancreatic transplantation has become debatable following the improvements in the results of islet transplantation and artificial pancreas. Therefore, surgeons who perform pancreas transplants require the best surgical technique that can minimize technical failure. We aimed to report our experiences with pancreatic transplantations. We transplanted 65 pancreatic grafts between 2015 and 2020. Except for one death due to hypoxic brain damage after surgery, no postoperative technical failure was observed. We usually perform duodeno-duodenal anastomosis using the transperitoneal approach, with retrocolic placement of the graft pancreas. There was no leakage from the duodenum even after immunologic graft failure. To prevent venous thrombosis, which is the most common cause of technical failure, we used the inferior vena cava for anastomosis and added graft venoplasty with a patch of donor vena cava or aortic interposition graft to the bench procedure; subsequently, there were no cases of technical failure due to thrombosis post-transplantation. Therefore, the 1-year graft survival (insulin-free) rate was more than 95%. The improving the surgical technique will maintain pancreatic transplantation as the best treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes.

Eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio is an excellent predictor of acute cellular rejection in pancreas transplant alone recipients.

Serum pancreatic enzymes (serum amylase and lipase) are sensitive markers for monitoring acute rejection in pancreatic transplant recipients. However, those enzymes are not specific, as their levels are elevated in other conditions. We evaluated the eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio (EMR) in peripheral blood as a biomarker of acute rejection in the clinical setting in recipients of pancreatic transplant alone. We performed 32 cases of pancreatic transplantation alone since 2015. Nine patients were diagnosed with rejection. Serum amylase and lipase levels and eosinophil and monocytes counts were analyzed and compared retrospectively between the non-rejection and rejection groups. The serum eosinophil count, eosinophil fraction of the complete blood count, and serum amylase and lipase levels were significant predictors of rejection according to the receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve. However, the EMR was the best indicator of rejection based on the ROC curve (area under the curve 0.918, sensitivity 100%, specificity 76.2% at the cutoff value 0.80, P < .001). The combination of EMR and the lipase level had 100% sensitivity and 90.5% specificity. The EMR is a simple and excellent predictor of acute rejection in recipients of pancreatic transplant alone.

Validation of the T category for distal cholangiocarcinoma: Measuring the depth of invasion is complex but correlates with survival.

According to the current 8th edition of the American Joint Committee of Cancer (AJCC), the T category of distal cholangiocarcinomas is classified based on the depth of invasion (DOI) (T1, < 5 mm; T2, between 5 and 12 mm; T3, > 12 mm). In consideration of the discrepancies between previous studies about the prognostic significance, we aimed to validate the current AJCC T staging system of distal cholangiocarcinomas. DOI was measured using three different methods: DOI1, DOI2, and DOI3. DOI1 was defined and stratified according to the AJCC 8th edition. DOI2 was measured as the distance from an imaginary curved line approximated along the distorted mucosal surface to the deepest invasive tumor cells. DOI3 was defined as the total tumor thickness. DOI2 and DOI3 were also divided into three categories using the same cut-off points as in the AJCC 8th edition. We compared these three DOI methods to the AJCC 7th edition as well. In contrast with the AJCC 7th edition, all three groups showed a correlation with patients' overall survival. Above all, the DOI2 group demonstrated the best significance in multivariate analysis. However, when the C indices were compared between these groups, differential significance proved to be negligible (DOI1 vs DOI2, p = 0.915; DOI2 vs DOI3, p = 0.057). Therefore, the measurement of DOI does not need to be rigorously and stringently performed. In conclusion, we showed that the current T classification system better correlates with the overall survival of patients with distal cholangiocarcinomas than the previous system.

Validation of the prognostic performance in various nodal staging systems for gallbladder cancer: results of a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Although the current nodal staging system for gallbladder cancer (GBC) was changed based on the number of positive lymph nodes (PLN), it needs to be evaluated in various situations. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data for 398 patients with resected GBC and compared nodal staging systems based on the number of PLNs, the positive/retrieved LN ratio (LNR), and the log odds of positive LN (LODDS). Prognostic performance was evaluated using the C-index. RESULTS: Subgroups were formed on the basis of an restricted cubic spline plot as follows: PLN 3 (PLN = 0, 1-2, ≥ 3); PLN 4 (PLN = 0, 1-3, ≥ 4); LNR (LNR = 0, 0-0.269, ≥ 0.27); and LODDS (LODDS < - 0.8, - 0.8-0, ≥ 0). The oncological outcome differed significantly between subgroups in each system. In all patients with GBC, PLN 4 (C-index 0.730) and PLN 3 (C-index 0.734) were the best prognostic discriminators of survival and recurrence, respectively. However, for retrieved LN (RLN) ≥ 6, LODDS was the best discriminator for survival (C-index 0.852). CONCLUSION: The nodal staging system based on PLN was the optimal prognostic discriminator in patients with RLN < 6, whereas the LODDS system is adequate for RLN ≥ 6. The following nodal staging system considers applying different systems according to the RLN.

Risk factors of early recurrence after curative hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Early recurrence is common after curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis. This study aimed to identify risk factors of early recurrence after curative hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Overall, 63 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma were enrolled. Patients were divided into the early recurrence group, who developed recurrence within 12 months after hepatectomy (n = 10), and the non-early recurrence group (n = 53). Clinicopathological factors of early recurrence were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 63 patients, 10 (15.9%) patients experienced early recurrence. Univariate analysis showed tumor necrosis (p = 0.012), level of PIVKA-II (prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II; p = 0.002), and microvascular invasion (p = 0.029) to be associated with early recurrence. By multivariate analysis, there were significant differences in high PIVKA-II (p < 0.001) and tumor necrosis (p = 0.012) in patients with early recurrence. The optimal cutoff values of PIVKA-II and tumor necrosis were 46 mAU/mL and 3% of total tumor volume, respectively. Patients with a high preoperative PIVKA-II level and extent of tumor necrosis, which are independent risk factors for early recurrence, should be actively treated and monitored closely after hepatectomy.

Increasing use of therapeutic apheresis as a liver-saving modality.

INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used for temporary support of liver function in patients presenting with early graft dysfunction after liver transplantation (LT) or liver surgery. We analyzed the effect of therapeutic apheresis on patients with liver disease. METHODS: Between January 2011 and August 2016, 93 apheresis procedures were performed for 26 patients at our institution. Anti-ABO isoagglutination immunoglobulin (Ig) M titer was checked using a type A and type B 3% red blood cell (RBC) suspension in saline with two-fold serial dilutions of patient serum. Anti-ABO isoagglutination IgG titer was checked by a type A and B 0.8% RBC suspension using a low-ionic strength/Coombs card. RESULTS: ABO-incompatible (ABOi) LT was the most common (n=10, 38.5%) indication for apheresis; early graft dysfunction after LT (n=8, 30.7%) was the second most common. Median initial IgM and IgG anti-ABO titers for ABOi LT recipients were 1:16 (range, 1:8-1:128) and 1:48 (range, 1:8-1:2048). We performed preoperative TPE in 10 recipients (median number of sessions, 1.5; range, 1-11). Among patients with early graft dysfunction, those who underwent living donor LT had better survival (4/4; 100%) than those who underwent nonliving donor LT (0/3; 0%). Patients who underwent living donor LT first and then additional LT also survived after three TPE sessions. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic apheresis is associated with a good survival rate and is essential for liver support in patients with early graft dysfunction after LT or posthepatectomy liver failure and during preparation for ABOi LT.

Congenital adhesion band causing small bowel obstruction: What's the difference in various age groups, pediatric and adult patients?

BACKGROUND: A congenital adhesion band is a rare condition, but may induce a small bowel obstruction (SBO) at any age. However, only a few sporadic case reports exit. We aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of congenital adhesion band manifesting a SBO stratified by age group between pediatric and adult patients. METHODS: The medical records of all patients with a SBO between Jan 1, 2009 and Dec 31, 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases associated with previous surgical procedure and cases of secondary obstruction due to inflammatory processes or tumor and other systemic diseases were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups according to age below or above 18 years: pediatric and adult. The basic clinical characteristics were analyzed and compared between groups. RESULTS: Of 251 patients with a SBO, 15 (5.9%) met the inclusion criteria; 10 cases in pediatric group (mean age 17.9 ± 38.7 months) and 5 cases in adult group (mean age 60.0 ± 19.7 years). The pediatric group (66.6%) included 3 neonates, 5 infants, and 2 school children. They usually presented with bilious vomiting (50.0%) and abdominal distention (60.0%), and demonstrated a high rate of early operation (80.0%) and bowel resection (70.0%). In contrast, the adult group (33.3%) presented with abdominal pain (100%) in all cases and underwent a relatively simple procedure of band release using a laparoscopic approach (60%). However, group differences did not reach statistical significance. In addition, two groups did not differ in the time interval to the operation or in the range of the operation (p = 0.089 vs. p = 0.329). No significant correlation was found between the time interval to the operation and the necessity of bowel resection (p = 0.136). There was no mortality in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Congenital adhesion band is a very rare condition with diverse clinical presentations across ages. Unlike adult patients, pediatric patients showed a high proportion of early operation and bowel resection. A good result can be expected with an early diagnosis and prompt management regardless of age.

Modification of Venous Outflow to Avoid Thrombotic Graft Failure in Pancreas Transplantation.

BACKGROUND Even with recent data, 5-10% of pancreas transplants experience early technical failure. Graft thrombosis is the primary cause of early technical failure, even when only optimal grafts are used, as is the case in Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine whether we can avoid thrombotic graft failure by modifying venous outflow. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between March 2017 and December 2021, a total of 59 pancreas transplantations were performed. Until May 2019, 31 cases of fence-angioplasty with cadaveric vena cava were performed to graft portal veins (the vena cava group). Since then, a total of 28 aortic interposition grafts have been performed to graft portal veins (the aortic group). RESULTS Between the 2 groups, there was no significant difference in baseline characteristics. Each group had 1 instance of technical failure. Early graft failure rates were 3.2% and 3.4%, respectively (P=1.000), while 1-year graft survival rates were 96.8% and 94.4%, respectively (P=0.991). Although a graft-threatening thrombosis occurred in the vena cava group, neither group experienced thrombotic graft failure, despite the decreased (vena cava group) or absence of heparin use (aorta group). CONCLUSIONS When the optimal graft is used, both techniques of modifying venous outflow can significantly reduce thrombotic graft failure.

Impact of age on the incidence of complications after liver transplantation: A single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Advances in surgical technique, postoperative management, and immunosuppressive therapy have led to a steady increase in the number of patients undergoing organ transplantation. This study aimed to compare the incidence of postoperative complications between young and elderly patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) at a single university hospital. METHOD: The medical records of 253 patients who underwent LT between January 2010 and July 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: those younger than 65 years (group Y, n=231) and those older than 65 years (group O, n=22). Data on patient demographics, perioperative management, and postoperative complications were collected. RESULTS: The patients' baseline characteristics, including underlying diseases and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, were not different between groups. Preoperative laboratory findings were not significantly different between the two groups, except for hemoglobin level. The total amounts of infused fluid and packed red blood cells were higher in group O than in group Y. The postoperative plasma creatinine level was higher in group O than in group Y; however, the incidence of postoperative complications was not considerably different between the two groups. In addition, there was no difference in the survival rate after LT depending on age. CONCLUSION: With the development of medical technology, LT in elderly patients is not an operation to be avoided, and the prognosis is expected to improve. Therefore, continuous efforts to understand the disease characteristics and physical differences in elderly patients who require LT are essential.

Preoperative blood neutrophil count predicts survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with living donor liver transplantation.

Background: The Milan criteria (MC) used to select patients for liver transplantation among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not include tumor biology. Furthermore, systemic inflammatory markers have been identified to predict tumor biology. The present study investigated prognostic value of systemic inflammatory markers, including neutrophil count, in predicting the prognosis of patients with HCC undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data regarding peripheral blood inflammatory markers, as well as patient and tumor characteristics of patients with HCC who underwent LDLT. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze variables associated with survival. Results: A total of 103 patients with HCC who underwent LDLT were included. The 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with a high neutrophil count (>2,640/µL) were significantly lower than those in patients with a low neutrophil count (≤2,640/µL; 70.0% and 64.7% vs. 88.3% and 84.6%, respectively; P=0.02). Patients with a high neutrophil count also had lower 5-year overall survival (OS; 63.9% vs. 79.3%, P=0.03). In multivariate analysis, radiologic MC (hazard ratio [HR], 5.04; P=0.02) and neutrophil count (HR, 4.47; P=0.04) were independent factors predicting RFS. Among patients exceeding the MC, those with a high neutrophil count had significantly lower 5-year RFS than those with low neutrophil count (10% vs. 83%; P<0.01). Conclusions: We demonstrated that high preoperative neutrophil count is associated with poor RFS and OS in patients with HCC undergoing LDLT.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predicts the therapeutic benefit of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization in patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: All published meta-analyses failed to demonstrate that preoperative transarterial chemoembolization improves the clinical outcomes of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study aimed to investigate the utility of systemic inflammatory cells as a tumor biology marker predicting therapeutic benefit of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization in patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 441 hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent curative resection. Among 441 patients, 73 patients underwent preoperative transarterial chemoembolization, and 368 patients did not. We compared recurrence-free survival and overall survival between transarterial chemoembolization plus sequential resection group and resection only group. We analyzed whether pretreatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio demonstrates survival benefit in each groups. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in recurrence-free or overall survival between both groups. In the transarterial chemoembolization plus sequential resection group, the 5-year overall survival in patients with high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (≥1.6) was significantly lower than that in patients with low neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (78.4% and 100%, P = 0.027). High neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was associated with vascular invasion (P = 0.033). CONCLUSION: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio can be considered as a predictive factor of long-term survival and used to identify patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma who benefit from neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization.

Efficacy and Safety of Weight Reduction of the Donor in Hepatic Steatosis for Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND Use of steatotic livers is a known risk factor for increased primary nonfunction after liver transplantation. This study investigated the efficacy and clinical outcome of simple weight reduction of steatosis for donors undergoing living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). MATERIAL AND METHODS We defined two groups: the reduction group, which included donors with >30% macrovesicular steatosis and body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m², and the conventional group, which included donors with.

Temporary Cessation of Immunosuppression for Infection May Contribute to the Development of Graft-vs-Host Disease After ABO-Incompatible Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Case Report.

Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) after liver transplantation is a rare complication with a high mortality rate. A complex interplay between donor and recipient immunity plays a role in the development of GVHD. Infection following liver transplantation is one of the most common complications in a recipient of an organ transplant who is immunosuppressed. On clinical signs of infection, the immune reaction of the recipient can be reconstituted by withdrawal of immunosuppression in order to help combat infection. However, the discontinuation of immunosuppression could restore the donor's immune activity rather than that of the recipient. There is little information available as to whether the discontinuation of immunosuppression for severe infection could contribute to the development of GVHD in a patient who underwent ABO-incompatible (ABO-I) living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Herein, we present a unique case of GVHD following ABO-I LDLT, for which the cessation of immunosuppression could be responsible.

Progression of diabetic nephropathy after successful pancreas transplantation alone: a case report.

Pancreas transplantation is the only method that can nearly cure insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. However, the effect of pancreas transplantation on patients with diabetic nephropathy has recently been considered controversial. In this report, we present a case of abrupt aggravation of proteinuria after successful pancreas transplantation alone without evidence of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) toxicity. A 22-year-old female patient with type I diabetes mellitus underwent pancreas transplantation alone. The patient already had retinopathy and mild proteinuria, which in this case, may mean diabetic nephropathy. Her glucose levels were managed within the normal range after successful pancreas transplantation. However, the amount of proteinuria fluctuated. Kidney needle biopsy was performed owing to severe elevation of proteinuria, 2 years after the transplantation. Electron microscopy revealed diabetic glomerulosclerosis without evidence of CNI toxicity. This case indicates that diabetic nephropathy can be aggravated after pancreas transplantation, despite well-managed glucose levels and absence of CNI toxicity.

Fence Angioplasty Prevents Narrowing of Venous Anastomosis in Solitary Pancreas Transplant.

BACKGROUND Graft thrombosis is the leading cause of early graft failure in pancreas transplants. Direct anastomosis grafting of the portal vein to the iliac vein or vena cava generally appears narrowed on postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. However, modification of surgical techniques may prevent venous narrowing, which also prevents thrombosis-related graft failure. MATERIAL AND METHODS We performed 31 solitary pancreas transplants since 2015. Retrospective analysis of these patients was performed. RESULTS Fence angioplasty was applied in the final 12 cases, and no technical failures or early graft losses occurred in these cases. Three graft losses, including 2 immunologic losses and 1 patient death with functioning graft, occurred after at least postoperative 4 months. The venous anastomoses were evaluated via intraoperative Doppler ultrasound and postoperative CT scans. Intraoperative Doppler ultrasound revealed improved spectral waves of venous anastomoses in the fence group (monophasic spectral wave, 42.9% vs. 0%, p=0.017). The fence-graft applied group had no cases of narrowing, whereas the non-fence group had high narrowing rates on CT scans (84.2% vs. 0%, p<0.001). Furthermore, with less use of postoperative heparin, postoperative bleeding rates were lower in the fence group (36% vs. 0%, p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS Fence angioplasty is a definitive method for avoiding venous anastomotic stenosis and preventing graft failure due to thrombosis.

Diamond-shaped patch technique for right hepatic vein reconstruction in living-donor liver transplant: A simple method to prevent stenosis.

Patency of the right hepatic vein (RHV) of the liver graft is essential for successful living-donor liver transplant (LDLT). We developed a simple technique for RHV reconstruction that does not require the use of cadaveric veins or additional time to prevent stenosis.Of 159 patients who underwent LDLT at our institution between May 2010 and April 2016, we included 152 in this study. Conventional RHV reconstruction was performed in 100 patients, while the diamond-shaped patch (D-patch) technique was performed in 53. For the D-patch technique, the posterior aspect of the RHV needs to be dissected from the liver parenchyma during donor hepatectomy, which prevents stenosis due to liver rotation after graft regeneration. A D-patch obtained from the hepatic vein of the recipient liver was used on the anterior aspect of the RHV for reconstruction. The Student's t test and χ test were used for statistical analysis.Rates of intervention for RHV stenosis during the first month were significantly different between the conventional reconstruction and D-patch groups (19.2% vs 3.8%; P = .01). The time taken to perform the D-patch technique was similar to that for conventional reconstruction (anhepatic period, 104.9 ±â€Š47.3 minutes vs 106.7 ±â€Š42.0 minutes; P = .82).The D-patch technique for RHV reconstruction in LDLT is a simple, fast, and feasible surgical technique that can be performed without using cadaveric or saphenous veins.

Clinical usefulness of controlled attenuation parameter to screen hepatic steatosis for potential donor of living donor liver transplant.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatic steatosis is associated with an increased risk of graft loss. Although the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), a process based on transient elastography, has been suggested as a noninvasive method of assessing hepatic steatosis, to date, there is no study on the usefulness of CAP as a single screening tool for detecting hepatic steatosis in potential living donor liver. We evaluated the accuracy of CAP for detecting hepatic steatosis in potential liver donors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All potential donors of living-donor liver transplantation who underwent a CAP assessment and ultrasonography-guided liver biopsy were enrolled. The steatosis grades were as follows: S0 less than 5%; S1, 5-33%; S2, 34-66%; and S3, more than 66%. RESULTS: According to the liver biopsies, 19 (34.5%) patients had S0, 30 (54.5%) patients had S1, and 6 (11.0%) patients had S2. The CAP value was correlated positively with BMI (r=0.242, P=0.01), waist circumference (r=0.268, P=0.006), hip circumference (r=0.334, P=0.001), Magnetic resonance fat signal fraction (r=0.465, P=0.001), and histologic steatosis grade (r=0.542, P=0.001). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for the diagnosis of steatosis (≥S2) by CAP was 0.88 (sensitivity 83.3% and specificity 81.6% at a cutoff value of 276 dB/m, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that CAP, as a simple and noninvasive preoperative assessment for hepatic steatosis, may be sufficient for identifying and thus excluding significant hepatic steatosis (>33%) in potential liver donors.

Pancreas Transplant with Duodeno-Duodenostomy and Caval Drainage Using a Diamond Patch Graft: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND The surgical technique used in pancreas transplant is essential for patient safety and graft survival, and problems exist with conventional strategies. When enteric exocrine drainage is performed, there is no method of immunologic monitoring other than direct graft pancreas biopsy. The most common cause of early graft failure is graft thrombosis, and adequate preventive and treatment strategies are unclear. To overcome these disadvantages, we suggest a modified surgical technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eleven patients underwent pancreas transplant with our modified technique. The modified surgical techniques are as follows: 1) graft duodenum was anastomosed with recipient duodenum to enable endoscopic immunological monitoring, and 2) the inferior vena cava was chosen for vascular anastomosis and a diamond-shaped patch was applied to prevent graft thrombosis. RESULTS No patient mortality or graft failure occurred. One case of partial thrombosis of the graft portal vein occurred, which did not affect graft condition, and resolved after heparin treatment. All patients were cured from diabetes mellitus. There were no cases of pancreatic rejection, but 2 cases of graft duodenal rejection occurred, which were adequately treated with steroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS This modified surgical technique for pancreas transplant represents a feasible method for preventing thrombosis and allows for direct graft monitoring through endoscopy.