Successful use of venous graft from native liver with hepatocellular carcinoma during living donor liver transplantation with no impact on recurrence rate: A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: There are still debates regarding using portal vein (PV) from liver with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for vascular reconstruction. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and patency of PV venous graft from an explanted liver with HCC for the reconstruction of the hepatic veins tributaries or PV in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and to see if it has any risk on recurrence of HCC. Patient and methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 81 patients with HCC who underwent LDLT from April 2004 to July 2022. Results: Venous graft from native liver PV was used for vascular reconstruction in 31 patients as follows; reconstruction of V5 in 7 patients, V8 in 4 patients, V6 in 3 patients, combined V5 and V8 in 4 patients, V6 with V5/V8 in 5 patients, and as Y shape venous graft for 2 PV reconstruction in 8 patients. The implantation of the new conduit PV graft after reconstruction of the anterior sector tributaries was direct to the IVC in 8 patients, and to the common orifice of the left and middle hepatic veins in 12 patients. The 1 month, 3 months, and 1-year overall patency of the venous graft was 93.5%, 90.3%, and 84%, respectively. Nine patients had recurrent HCC. In multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for HCC recurrence were AFP >400 ng/mL (HR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.69-2.31, P = 0.01), moderate/poor differentiated tumor (HR = 3.06, 95% CI: 2.58-6.29, P = 0.02), and microvascular invasion (HR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.05-1.93, P = 0.01). Using a PV venous graft had no risk factor for HCC recurrence (P = 0.9). Conclusion: The use of PV venous graft of native liver with HCC for venous reconstruction is a feasible and valuable option in LDLT with good patency rates and no risk of HCC recurrence.

Pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT): Short- and long-term outcomes during sixteen years period at a single centre- A retrospective cohort study.

Background and objectives: Pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is an effective tool for managing pediatric patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) with good long-term graft and patient survival, especially after improvement in peri-operative care, surgical tools and techniques; however, the morbidity and mortality after such a procedure are still a challenging matter. The study aimed to analyze short-and long-term outcomes after pediatric LDLT in a single centre. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 67 pediatric patients who underwent LDLT in the period from April 2003 to July 2018. The overall male/female ratio was 40/27. Results: Forty-one (61.2%) of patients had ≥1 early and/or late morbidities; the early (less than 3months) and late (≥3months) ones affected 36(53.7%) and 12(17.9%) of them respectively. The 16-year graft and patient survivals were 35(52.2%) while early and late mortalities were 23(34.3%) and 9(13.4%) respectively. Sepsis and chronic rejection were the most frequent causes of early and late mortalities respectively. Moreover, more packed RBCs transfusion units, bacterial infections, and pulmonary complications were independent predictors of poor patient survival. Conclusions: More packed RBCs transfusion units intra-operatively, and post-liver transplant (LT) bacterial infection, sepsis, chronic rejection, as well as pulmonary complications had a negative insult on our patients' outcomes, so proper management of them is mandatory for improving outcomes after pediatric LDLT.

Biliary complications after adult to adult right-lobe living donor liver transplantation (A-ARLLDLT): Analysis of 245 cases during 16 years period at a single high centre- A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Biliary complications (BCs) after adult to adult living donor liver transplantation (A-ALDLT) result in poor graft and patient survival. This study aimed to analyze these complications. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed BCs in 245 recipients who underwent A-ALDLT using the right-lobe graft during 16 years period in our centre. The overall male/female ratio was 215/30. Results: One hundred fifty-five BCs affected 102 of our recipients (95 early (≤3months) and 60 late (≥3months)). They were classified as 67/245(27.3%) early bile leak, 10/245(4.1%) early biliary stricture, 44/245(17.9%) late biliary stricture, 4/245(1.6%) early cholangitis, 10/245(4.1%) late cholangitis, 14/245(5.7%) early biloma, and 6/245(2.4%) late cholangitic abscesses. Multiple biliary anastomoses were independently correlated with Post liver transplantation (LT) overall BCs; moreover, post LT hepatic artery thrombosis or stenosis (HAT/S) was an independent predictor of overall BCs, strictures and leaks. The mortality affected 96(39.2%) cases mostly due to sepsis, bleeding and multi-organ failure (MOF). On the other hand, the biliary related mortality was 10.6% of cases. Multiple cholangitic hepatic abscesses were significant predictors of poor graft and patient outcomes. Conclusions: Multiple biliary anastomoses and post LT HAT/S lead to a poor biliary outcome, furthermore, cholangitis, cholangitic abscesses and sepsis lead to poor graft and patient outcomes, so proper management of those variables is mandatory to improve outcomes after A-ARLLDLT.

Short- and long-term outcomes after Kasai operation for type III biliary atresia: Twenty years of experience in a single tertiary Egyptian center-A retrospective cohort study.

Kasai portoenterostomy(KPE) is the treatment of choice for the fatal devastating infantile type III biliary atresia (BA). The study aimed to analyze short-and long-term outcomes after this procedure and their predictors in a tertiary center. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 410 infants who underwent KPE for type III BA in the period from February 2000 to December 2019. The overall male/female ratio was 186/224. RESULTS: The early (>6months) complications involved 187(45.6%) of our infants with a higher incidence of early cholangitis that affected 108(26.3%) of them. The jaundice clearance at the 6th post-operative month that reached 138(33.7%) of them had an independent correlation with mild portal tracts ductal and/or ductular proliferation, using postoperative steroids therapy, and absence of early postoperative cholangitis. The early infant mortality that affected 70(17.1%) of our patients was mostly from sepsis. On the other hand, late (<6months) patients complications and mortalities affected 256(62.4%) and 240(58.5%) of patients respectively; moreover, liver failure and sepsis were the most frequent causes of late mortalities in non-transplanted and transplanted cases respectively. Lastly, the long-term (20-year) native liver survival (NLS) that reached 91(22.2%) of patients had an independent correlation with age at operation ≤ 90 days, higher preoperative mean serum alb, portal tract fibrosis grades F0 and F1, absence of intraoperative bleeding, absence of post-operative cholangitis, the occurrence of jaundice clearance at the 6th postoperative month and absence of post-operative portal hypertension (PHN). CONCLUSIONS: Sepsis had a direct effect on early and late patient mortalities after Kasai operation for type III BA; moreover, patient age at operation<90 days, higher fibrosis grades, the occurrence of postoperative cholangitis and PHN, and persistence of post-operative jaundice had negative insult on long-term postoperative outcome. So, it is crucial to modulate these factors for a better outcome.