Aust N Z J Surg 1990 Mar;60(3):193-8

Vascular complications following orthotopic liver transplantation

Bell R, Sheil AG, Thompson JF, Stephen MS, Eyers AA, Shun A, Waugh RC

Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,
Camperdown, New South Wales

Abstract

During the first 3 years of the Australian National Liver Transplantation
Programme, 51 liver grafts were performed in 46 patients. There were 11 major
vascular complications encountered following 10 liver transplants in eight (17%)
patients. They caused death in three patients and the need for retransplantation
in two others. Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) occurred five (10%) times,
producing a spectrum of clinical illness ranging from death to an asymptomatic
event. Other vascular complications included hepatic artery stenosis not
complicated by thrombosis (two), primary (one) and secondary (one) haemorrhage,
thrombosis of a mesoportal venous graft (one) and inferior vena caval stenosis
(one). Vascular complications are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality
following liver transplantation. Predisposing and precipitating factors should
be recognized and minimized