Interventional treatment of post-transplantation portal vein stenosis: a study of 38 cases / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic results of percutaneous transhepatic stent angioplasty in patients with portal vein stenosis following liver transplantation.Methods From 2005 to 2013,38 patients developed portal vein stenosis following liver transplantation.Percutaneous transhepatic angioplasty of the portal vein stenosis was performed on these patients.The results were monitored by clinical follow-up and imaging studies.Results Percutaneous transhepatic angioplasty was successful in these patients.Self-expanding metallic stents (n=7),balloon-expandable coronary stent (n=29),and membranous stent (n=1) were used.The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 90 months.Portal venous patency was maintained in 34 patients (one patient died due to multi organ failure,1 patient accepted a third liver transplantation because of biliary tract complication,and 1 patient received a repeat placement of a membranous tent because the portal vein stent was blocked by a tumor thrombus,and 1 patient developed stent restenosis).There was 1 patient who developed hemorrhage in the early postoperative period (2.63％).A diagnosis of hepatic artery hemorrhage was made by hepatic artery angiography and the patient was treated by interventional embolization.Conclusion Percutaneous transhepatic stent angioplasty is an efficacious and safe method to treat portal vein stenosis following liver transplantation.