Simultaneous implantation of bilateral liver grafts in living donor liver transplantation by fusion venoplasty

Abstract

Small-for-size syndrome is a serious complication after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). LDLT using dual grafts offers an alternative to solve this problem. In case of a right and left liver graft adopted for dual graft LDLT, sequential implantation of the right graft followed by the left graft is the usual approach. However, left hepatic vein and portal vein anastomosis could be challenging when the right subphrenic space is occupied by the right liver graft, and this problem could be avoided by simultaneous implantations of bilateral grafts. In this video, the technique of simultaneous implantation of bilateral living donor liver grafts via fusion venoplasty (FV) in a 59-year old patient with acute liver failure was presented. We performed FV at the backtable to join the right hepatic vein (RHV) and middle hepatic vein (MHV) to create one venous outflow in the right liver graft, the left liver was approximated to the right liver graft at the backtable followed by FV joining the left hepatic vein to the R/MHV venous cuff before anastomosis with the inferior vena cava. The right and left portal veins were then joined together to create one common orifice before anastomosis with the recipient's main portal vein. The graft right and left hepatic artery were anastomosed with the recipient's right and left hepatic artery respectively. Biliary reconstruction was performed via a duct-to-duct anastomosis for the right liver graft and a hepaticojejunostomy for the left liver graft ...