Maximizing venous outflow after right hepatic living donor liver transplantation with a venous graft patch

Between March 2002 and September 2004, 36 patients at Mie University Hospital underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) of a right lobe graft without the middle hepatic vein. The patients were divided into two groups: group I (n = 25) received ordinary hepatic vein anastomoses, and group II (n = 11) received a venous graft patch in the subsequent procedure. Between groups, we compared hepatic vein blood flow (ultrasound), liver volume (CT scan), laboratory data, and ascitic fluid volume. Outflow block developed as a complication in 1 patient in group I. Hepatic vein blood flow on postoperative day (POD) 3 was significantly better in group II, and hepatic vein waveforms of most group II patients showed the triphasic pattern, especially on PODs 3 and 5. The total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase values on POD 1 were significantly better in group II, and daily ascitic fluid volume on PODs 3 and 5 was significantly lower in group II. Thus, modified venoplasty with a graft patch in the right hepatic LDLT not only improved hepatic vein hemodynamics (based on the ultrasound findings), but also improved liver function and decreased daily ascitic fluid volume.