Comparative study for the outcome of living donor liver transplantation in patients with portal vein thrombosis in comparison to patients without portal vein thrombosi

Abstract

Background: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a relative contraindication in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We monitored the outcome of adult patients with PVT in comparison to patients without PVT in LDLT.. Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study. LDLTs that were performed at Liver Transplantation Unit in Air Forces Hospital and Nasser Institute, between January 2016 and June 2022 were evaluated. 176 cases were divided into two groups according to the presence of PVT, group A included 55 recipients who had PVT compared with group B including 121 recipients without PVT.. Results: In our study (N = 176), postoperative PV complications was recorded in 11 (6.3 %) cases. Five case in each group had postoperative PVT (9.8 % vs. 4.1 %), respectively and a single case of PV stenosis (0.8 %) was documented in non-PVT group. All patients who develop early postoperative PV (n = 3/10) complications unfortunately died because of it, unlike those who developed late PV complications, their 1 year survival rate was 70 % of cases and the overall mortality rate in patients developed PV complications was 40 %. Conclusion: PVT is established not to be a contraindication for LT but needs complex procedures and sophisticated techniques and Surgeons should be aware of these techniques to restore adequate portal flow in transplant for recipients with PVT.