Hepatic venoplasty in living-donor liver transplantation using right lobe graft with middle hepatic vein

Abstract

Inclusion of the middle hepatic vein in a right lobe graft from a living-donor may improve venous drainage and avoid graft dysfunction, but reconstruction of the middle hepatic vein is technically difficult. We developed a hepatic venoplasty technique, which was applied in eight consecutive right lobe liver transplantations. The right and middle hepatic veins of the graft were joined together to form a triangular cuff for a single anastomosis to the recipient's inferior vena cava. Hepatic venoplasty was successful in all cases, and no interposition graft was required. Venovenous bypass was not used. All grafts showed immediate function, and no hepatic venous outflow obstruction was observed. There was no reoperation and the graft survival rate was 100%. This hepatic venoplasty technique can be applied systemically as a standard one in right lobe liver graft with the middle hepatic vein to simplify the recipient hepatectomy and to obviate venous outflow obstruction.