Biliary complications in right lobe living donor liver transplantation

Hepatol Int. 2016 Jul;10(4):553-8. doi: 10.1007/s12072-016-9710-0. Epub 2016 Mar 1.

Abstract

Living donor liver transplantation is an alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation in the face of insufficient deceased donor liver grafts. Unfortunately, the incidence of biliary complication after living donor liver transplantation is significantly higher than that after deceased donor liver transplantation using grafts from non-cardiac-death donations. The two most common biliary complications after living donor liver transplantation are bile leakage and biliary anastomotic stricture. Early treatment with endoscopic and interventional radiological approaches can achieve satisfactory outcomes. If treatment with these approaches fails, the salvage measure for prompt rectification will be surgical revision, which is now seldom performed. This paper also discusses risk factors in donor biliary anatomy that can affect recipients.

Keywords: Bile leak; Biliary anastomotic stricture; Biliary reconstruction; Complications; Living donor liver transplantation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bile Ducts / pathology
  • Biliary Tract Diseases / etiology*
  • Biliary Tract Diseases / pathology
  • Biliary Tract Diseases / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Liver Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Liver Transplantation / methods
  • Living Donors
  • Risk Factors