Impact of prolonged clamping of the portal vein during liver transplantation in infants with biliary atresia: renewed interest in a long-standing issue

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Impact of prolonged clamping of the portal vein during liver transplantation in infants with biliary atresia: renewed interest in a long-standing issue Via Latest Results for Surgery Today Abstract Purpose Various approaches to portal vein (PV) reconstruction have been described; however, there is still scope to improve the safety and efficiency of how PV anastomosis is performed in infants. Methods We analyzed, retrospectively, the predictive factors for PV reanastomosis during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in 117 infants (< 1 year old) with biliary atresia (BA). Results Twenty-six infants required PV reanastomosis because of intraoperative PV thrombosis in 21 and insufficient PV flow in 5. Univariate analysis identified multiple previous laparotomies and a prolonged anhepatic phase (AHP) as significant risk factors for repeated PV anastomosis. The AHP cutoff value for identifying patients requiring PV reanastomosis was 134 min. Multivariate analysis revealed prolonged AHP > 134 min (odds ratio, 15.98; 95% confidence interval, 5.05–50.6; P < 0.001) as an independent risk factor for repeated PV anastomosis. The plasma D-dimer and fibrinogen degradation product concentration just after reperfusion were significantly higher in patients requiring PV reanastomosis (P < 0.001). Patients requiring reanastomosis of the PV had a higher incidence of PV complications after LDLT than those who did not need PV reanastomosis (P = 0.01). Conclusion Attempting to minimize the AHP is indispensable for successful LDLT in infants with BA. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.