Impact of Posttransplant Portosystemic Shunts on Liver Transplantation

Budesonide in Liver Immunology: A Therapeutic Opportunity in Liver Transplantation

Purpose of Review

A major remaining challenge in liver transplantation is achieving the balance between adequate immunosuppression to prevent allograft rejection and minimising immunosuppression-related side effects. Systemic corticosteroids contribute to the development of multi-system adverse effects that increase recipient morbidity and mortality. Oral budesonide undergoes significant first-pass hepatic metabolism, thereby minimising systemic availability, but maintains a similar immunosuppressive impact on the liver and gastrointestinal tract as systemic corticosteroids. This review aims to explore the rationale for oral budesonide as an alternative immunosuppressant to conventional corticosteroids following liver transplantation.

Recent findings

Despite increasing evidence of efficacy and safety in other gastrointestinal conditions, research on the role of budesonide as an alternative immunosuppressant to conventional corticosteroids in the liver transplant setting remains scarce. However, existing literature suggests efficacy in the treatment and prevention of acute rejection after liver transplantation, with minimal toxicity.

Summary

The unique pharmacokinetic profile of oral budesonide may address the unmet need for a medical therapy that has efficacy but with a better safety profile compared to conventional corticosteroids in the liver transplant setting.

Short-Term Results of Plug-Assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration for Portal Steal from Complicated Portosystemic Shunts in Living-Donor Liver Transplantation

PURPOSE

To investigate the effectiveness of plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration (PARTO) for portal steal from complicated portosystemic shunts (PSSs) in living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent LDLT and intraoperative or postoperative PARTO for complicated PSS between January 2020 and December 2021. PARTO was performed when hepatofugal portal flow steal was identified during intraoperative cineportography, and afferent vein embolization was difficult because of multiple afferent veins or incomplete afferent vein embolization. Liver volume, complete obliteration of PSS, technical success, adverse events, and follow-up clinical and laboratory data were evaluated.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven patients were included, and the technical success rate was 100% with no major adverse events. During the median follow-up of 20.0 months, all patients recovered well with suitable regeneration of the liver without graft dysfunction related to a portal steal. The liver volume significantly increased within 1 month (median, 956 vs 1,198 mL; P < .001). Complete obliteration of a PSS occurred in 36 of 37 (97.3%) patients, and there was no recurrence during follow-up. The Child-Pugh score, serum albumin and total bilirubin levels, and prothrombin time showed significant improvement over serial follow-up. Compared with preprocedural values (14.9 cm/s), follow-up portal flow (median) peaked on the first day (71.2 cm/s, P < .001) and then remained significantly high at 1 week (60.3 cm/s, P < .001) and 1 month (53.1 cm/s, P < .001), in accordance with the graft regeneration.

CONCLUSIONS

PARTO is an effective procedure for the treatment of complicated PSS in LDLT.

Understanding Local Hemodynamic Changes After Liver Transplant: Different Entities or Simply Different Sides to the Same Coin?

Liver transplantation is an extremely complex procedure performed in an extremely complex patient. With a successful technique and acceptable long-term survival, a new challenge arose: overcoming donor shortage. Thus, living donor liver transplant and other techniques were developed. Aiming for donor safety, many liver transplant units attempted to push the viable limits in terms of size, retrieving smaller and smaller grafts for adult recipients. With these smaller grafts came numerous problems, concepts, and definitions. The spotlight is now aimed at the mirage of hemodynamic changes derived from the recipients prior alterations. This article focuses on the numerous hemodynamic syndromes, their definitions, causes, and management and interconnection with each other. The aim is to aid the physician in their recognition and treatment to improve liver transplantation success.

Management of spontaneous portosystemic shunts at the time of liver transplantation: treatment or observation? Results of a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Optimal treatment of spontaneous portosystemic shunts (SPSS) during liver transplantation (LT) remains debated. We systematically reviewed the literature on definitions, treatment and outcomes of patients presenting SPSS undergoing LT.

METHODS

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we used PubMed to retrieve all studies dealing with SPSS and LT between January 1987 and January 2020. The primary endpoints were definitions and outcomes according to the management of SPSS (treatment vs observation).

RESULTS

Thirteen studies detailing the management of 962 SPSS were retrieved. Hemodynamically significant SPSS were defined as those having diameter ≥ 10 mm in 41% (n = 395) of patients. SPSS were splenorenal (42%), cavo-gastric (15.2%), umbilical (7.4%), mesenterico-caval (n = 31; 3.2%), mesenterico-renal (0.1%) and unreported (31.9%), respectively. At the time of LT 372 shunts (38.7%) were treated while 590 were observed (61.3%). During a follow-up time ranging from 4 months to 5 years, the reported overall survival (OS) at 1 year was not significantly different except for one study. Portal vein anastomosis complications (i.e. reduced flow, stenosis or thrombosis) were similarly reported in observed [n = 26 (4%)] and ligated SPSS [n = 10 (2%)] (p = 0.22) but the rate of relaparotomy was significantly higher in observed SPPS (16 vs 2; p = 0.01) to rescue post LT portal vein thrombosis (n = 6) and reduced portal flow and graft dysfunction (n = 10).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a heterogeneous management of SPSS during LT in the literature. Ligation of SPPS did not reduce vascular complications neither improved survival. A randomized prospective study might contribute to identify best management of SPSS at time of LT.

Post-transplant inflow modulation for early allograft dysfunction after living donor liver transplantation

Background

To treat small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), many procedures were described for portal flow modulation before, during, or after transplantation. The selection of the procedure as well as the best timing remains controversial.

Case presentation

A 43-year-old female with end-stage liver disease underwent LDLT with extended left with caudate lobe graft from her donor who was her 41-year-old brother (graft volume/standard liver volume (GV/SLV), 35.7%; graft to recipient weight ratio (GRWR), 0.67%). During the surgery, splenectomy could not be performed owing to severe peri-splenic adhesions to avoid the ruined bleedings. The splenic artery ligation was not also completely done because it was dorsal to the pancreas and difficult to be approached. Finally, adequate portal vein (PV) inflow was confirmed after portal venous thrombectomy. As having post-transplant optional procedures that are accessible for PV flow modulation, any other procedures for PV modulation during LDLT were not done until the postoperative assessment of the graft function and PV flow for possible postoperative modulation of the portal flow accordingly. Postoperative PV flow kept as high as 30 cm/s. By the end of the 1st week, there was a progressive deterioration of the total bilirubin profile (peak as 19.4 mg/dL) and ascitic fluid amount exceeded 1000 mL/day. Therefore, splenic artery embolization was done effectively and safely on the 10th postoperative day (POD) to reverse early allograft dysfunction as PV flow significantly decreased to keep within 20 cm/s and serum total bilirubin levels gradually declined with decreased amounts of ascites below 500 mL on POD 11 and thereafter. The patient was discharged on POD 28 with good condition.

Conclusions

SFSS can be prevented or reversed by the portal inflow modulation, even by post-transplant procedure. This case emphasizes that keeping accessible angiographic treatment options for PV modulation, such as splenic artery embolization, after LDLT is quite feasible.

Endovascular Treatment of Acute Posttransplant Portal Vein Thrombosis Due to Portal Steal From Mesocaval And Coronary Portosystemic Shunts

The management of portosystemic shunts in liver transplant recipients relies on appropriate perioperative study. There are several strategies for shunt handling, ranging from preoperative interventional procedures to intraoperative surgical interruption or embolization. Appropriate management often results in a successful outcome, although wrong decisions could lead to serious consequences. Here, we report a liver transplant recipient with grade 2 portal vein thrombosis associated with 2 large portosystemic shunts (coronary and mesocaval), which were managed intraoperatively via thrombectomy without shunt ligation. Acute portal vein thrombosis developed early after transplant due to portal steal syndrome. The patient underwent a successful endovascular shunt embolization, with prompt restoration of hepatopetal portal flow and resolution of the portal steal. Use of interventional radiology in perioperative management of transplant patients has recently gained wider importance; our case reported here is particularly suggestive of the good outcomes of a multidisciplinary approach to a threatening complication such as postoperative acute portal vein thrombosis.

Relationship Between Graft Liver Function and the Change of Graft Liver and Spleen Volumes After Technical Variant Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Although there have been a few reports describing the changes of graft liver and spleen volumes after liver transplantation (LT), little is known about the relationship between graft liver function and the changes of these volumes after technical variant liver transplantation (TVLT). We therefore performed a retrospective study to investigate the relationship between graft liver function and these volumes after TVLT.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated the cases of 140 TVLT procedures that were performed in our department between July 1987 and October 2012 and in which follow-up was conducted at our department. We calculated the graft liver volume to standard liver volume (GV/SLV) ratio, the spleen volume to standard spleen volume (SV/SSV) ratio, and the spleen volume to graft liver volume (S/L) ratio by CT volumetry. We clarified the relationship between graft liver function (according to the pathological findings) and the graft liver and spleen volumes at 2, 5, and 10 years after TVLT.

RESULTS

In the normal liver function group, the GV/SLV, SV/SSV, and S/L ratios decreased until 6 months after TVLT and then converged at 10 years after TVLT to 0.95, 1.27, and 0.27, respectively. In the graft liver failure group, the GV/SLV, SV/SSV, and S/L ratios at 10 years after TVLT were 0.67, 5.01, and 1.55, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between the GV/SLV ratio and the presence of mild liver fibrosis at 2 and 5 years after TVLT (P = .03 and P = .04, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Post-transplant CT-volumetry is a noninvasive and effective means of evaluating graft liver status.

Radiologic evaluation of portal steal phenomenon in recipients of liver transplantation

It is important to maintain adequate portal flow and to prevent the detrimental effect of portosystemic shunt in recipients following liver transplantation. The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive review of portosystemic shunts and to illustrate such phenomenon demonstrated on radiologic studies such as Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography, and portogram. It is important for radiologists to be aware of such phenomenon not only in preoperative evaluation of the recipients but also in postoperative screening to detect recurrence of the phenomenon.

Portal flow steal after liver transplantation

Portal flow steal occasionally persists even after the liver transplantation, which may reduce the portal flow and thus threaten the patients' outcome. Therefore, pre- and peri-operative detection of portal steal phenomenon requiring radiological or surgical interruption is essential for the liver transplantation candidates as well as for the recipients.

Portal venous perfusion steal causing graft dysfunction after orthotopic liver transplantation: serial imaging findings in a successfully treated patient

A 53-year-old male with hepatocellular carcinoma underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. Preoperative computed tomography revealed main portal vein luminal narrowing by flat thrombi and the development of cavernous transformation. On post-transplantation day 1, thrombotic portal venous occlusion occurred, and emergency thrombectomy was performed. Subsequent Doppler ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography confirmed the restoration of normal portal venous flow. The next day, however, decreased portal venous velocity was observed via Doppler ultrasonography, and serum liver enzymes and bilirubin levels remained persistently elevated. Direct portography identified massive perfusion steal through prominent splenorenal collateral veins. Stent insertion and balloon angioplasty of the portal vein were performed, and subsequent Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated normalized portal flow parameters. Afterwards, the serum liver enzymes and bilirubin levels rapidly normalized.