Purpose. Microsurgical reconstruction of the fine hepatic arteries (HA) reduces the chance of complications in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We reviewed HA reconstructions and analyzed their complications and treatment in a single center.
Methods. Between August 1996 and September 2004, we performed LDLT oil 71 adults and 19 children. Patients received a lateral segment graft (n = .16), a left lobe graft (n = 11), an extended left lobe graft (n = 12) or a right lobe graft (n = 51).
Results. Hepatic artery reconstruction was performed by end-to-end anastomosis Under an operating microscope in all except five adults who received right lobe grafts with loupe magnification. Arterial complications developed in 5 (5.6%) of the 90 patients. Three patients required reanastomosis during their primary operation because of HA thrombosis, anastomotic kinking, and stenosis, respectively. There were three postoperative complications: an anastomotic stenosis, revised by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty; rupture of an HA pseudoaneurysm, treated by embolization and anastomotic kinking, revised by reanastomosis. The patient with the pseudoaneurysm died of arterial complications. Multivariate analysis of cases before (4/13, 30.8%) and after 2000 (1/77, 1.3%) revealed that surgical experience was the only significant factor in reducing the incidence of HA complications (P = 0.007).
Conclusion. Case number-dependent anastomotic reliability using microsurgical techniques is important for safer arterial reconstruction.