Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Outcomes and Complications

Background: Neoadjuvant therapy and liver transplantation is an effective treatment for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) addresses the problem of organ shortage, but has higher risk of technical complication that can be aggravated by radiotherapy. We investigated the incidence of vascular and biliary complication in pCCA compared with non-pCCA patients and their impact on patient and graft survival.

Study design: All consecutive LDLTs (n = 247) performed between 2000 and 2017 were reviewed, including demographics, donor variables, operative details, and postoperative outcomes. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between variables and outcomes.

Results: Seventy-four LDLTs (30.0%) were performed for pCCA and 173 for other indications. Forty-nine patients (66.2%) had primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated pCCA; the remainder had de novo pCCA. LDLT for pCCA was associated with nonstandard arterial (p = 0.001) or portal vein reconstruction (p < 0.001) and Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy (p < 0.001). The incidence of early hepatic artery thromboses was similar (5.4% vs 7.6%; p = 0.54). Late hepatic artery (18.9% vs 4.1%; p < 0.001) and portal vein (37.8% vs 8.7%; p < 0.001) complication was more common in the pCCA group. Anastomotic biliary complications occurred in 39.2% vs 54.1% (p = 0.032) of patients. Overall survival for pCCA at 1, 5, and 10 years was 84.9%, 66.5%, and 55.6%, respectively. Cancer recurred in 12.3%. Residual tumor on explant prognosticated inferior survival (hazard ratio 5.69; 95% CI, 1.97 to 16.35) and vascular and biliary complications did not.

Conclusions: Late vascular complication is common after LDLT for pCCA, but do not adversely affect long-term survival. LDLT provides excellent survival, particularly for patients with no residual disease at the time of transplantation.