Background: In living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) in small children, standard end-to-end portal vein (PV) anastomosis is usually difficult because of a inadequate total PV length, or because of a size mismatch between the graft and the recipient PV. In this report, we present our new portal venoplasty technique for the recipient PV.
Methods: After dissection of the recipient PV, the wall between the right and left branches of the PV is severed longitudinally as in the branch patch technique. The anterior and posterior edges of both branches are joined using running sutures, to form a longer and wider PV for anastomosis.
Results: This new portal venoplasty technique was used in 7 of 28 child cases, and gave good results without thrombosis or other complications.
Conclusions: Our new portal venoplasty technique is useful in LRLT in small children when the recipient or graft PV is not long enough.