Objective: To investigate the approach which could improve the survival rate of adult-to adult living donor liver transplantations, that right lobe liver grafts were performed by a modified technique.
Methods: During from March to June 2005, 13 patients underwent the living donor liver transplantation with right lobe grafts via the improved surgical techniques including the reconstruction of right hepatic vein; the tributaries of the middle hepatic vein were reconstructed by interpositioning a vein grafts; the anastomosis of the hepatic arteries and bile ducts. All cases underwent the direct anastomosis of right hepatic vein and IVC, of whom 5 cases were added with the reconstructions of right inferior hepatic vein, and other 5 cases added with reconstructing the tributaries of the middle hepatic vein by interpositing a vein graft to provide sufficient venous outflow.
Results: No donor suffered from severe complication or death. Four complications occurred in recipients who got the hepatic artery thrombosis (1 case), bile leakage (1 case), right subphrenic abscess (1 case) or pulmonary infection (1 case) respectively. The recipient with pulmonary infection died of MOF. The graft organ and recipient weight ratio (GRWR) were between 0.72% and 1.24%, that the ratios of 9 cases was < 1.0% and 2 cases < 0.8%, with no "small-for-size syndrome" occurred.
Conclusions: The improved surgical techniques, especially the reconstruction of hepatic vein to provide sufficient venous outflow, can make the adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation with right lobe liver grafts become a relatively safe operation and prevent the "small-for-size syndrome".