Liver Grafts Flush and its Relation to Hemodynamic Status in Recipients of Living Donor Liver Transplantation: An Egyptian Experience

Abstract

Background: There have been limited data towards the hemodynamic (HD) changes in recipients of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) especially during the reperfusion phase. Purpose: Does surgical techniques affects the HD of the patients during reperfusion? We evaluated the differences between two surgical techniques done before the reperfusion phase of LDLT; one with liver graft flush and the other without flush. Methods: A retrospective observational study conducted at Ain Shams University Hospitals, Center of organ transplantation. Analysis of 50 recipients HD data, usage of vassopressors, ICU stay and mortality during reperfusion phase and 20 min after it, thus comparing two different methods; one with liver flush through the portal vein (PV) of 100 ml-200 ml (1.5 ml/kg-2.5 ml/kg) of blood and venting it from hepatic vein (HV), other group without liver flush technique. Results: Regarding the use of vassopressors; recipients underwent liver flush showed low initial and maintenance doses of nor-epinephrine compared to patients without flush (P ≤ 0.001), no differences detected regarding the HD state, intensive care unit (ICU) stay and blood products usage between the two techniques. Conclusion: In patients candidates for LDLT there is an increased risk of a complex and not completely understood pathology of postreperfusion syndrome (PRS), antegrade Portal vein (PV) flushing with HV venting is a surgical technique with reduced doses of vassopressors with minimal PRS hemodynamic instability.