ABSTRACT
In recent years, donation after circulatory death (DCD) has increased as an option to overcome the organ donor shortage crisis and to decrease the large number of patients on liver transplant waiting lists. The "super-rapid" technique is now the "gold standard" procurement method because of its availability, reproducibility, low cost, and extensive experience. Recently, extracorporeal support has been implemented, with encouraging results. Strict donor acceptance criteria have proven to be essential to optimize the DCD liver graft outcomes and minimize biliary complication rates. In this study we assessed the state of the art of DCD liver transplantation with regard to its development and the actual strategies to prevent graft complications, with aim of expanding the pool of marginal liver donors.
Subject(s)
Liver Transplantation/methods , Tissue Donors/supply & distribution , Tissue and Organ Procurement/methods , Adult , Death , Female , Graft Survival , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Biliary complications are a frequent cause of morbidity, graft loss, and death after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The choledochocholedochostomy anastomosis without a T-tube is controversial, as it has been related to more biliary complications. AIMS: The aims of this study were to determine the incidence and to identify the risk factors of post-OLT biliary complications after reconstruction with or without a T-tube. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-five consecutive adult patients with deceased donor liver transplantations (overall survival rate, 86.3%; mean follow-up, 22.2 months) were analyzed to determine the incidence and type of biliary complications in 2 groups: choledochocholedochostomy with (45 patients, Group I) or without a T-tube (50 patients, Group II). The incidence of biliary complications in Groups I and II was 40% (18/45) and 30% (15/50), respectively (P > .05). In Group I, 49% of the complications were directly related to the T-tube. Biliary anastomosis stricture was more frequent in Group II (28% vs 8.9% in Group I; P = .018). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was the most common therapeutic procedure for the resolution of biliary complications in both groups (Group I, 66.5%; Group II, 58.2%). Arterial thrombosis, high pretransplantation Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and donor obesity were identified as risk factors for biliary complications after OLT. CONCLUSION: OLT biliary reconstruction without a T-tube is not related to an increased risk of biliary complications, although stricutre of the anastomosis is more frequent in this group of patients. Donor obesity, arterial thrombosis, and high pretransplantation MELD score are associated with a higher incidence of biliary complications after OLT.
