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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
Technique of Porcine Liver Procurement and Orthotopic Transplantation using an Active Porto-Caval Shunt
Published on: May 7, 2015
Combined cardiac surgery and liver transplantation
D E Eckhoff1, L Frenette, M T Sellers
1Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Immunobiology and Transplant Center, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA. devin.eckhoff@ccc.uab.edu
Insights
A combined heart and liver transplant surgery successfully treated severe aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease in a patient with hepatitis C cirrhosis. The patient experienced an uneventful recovery with normal cardiac and liver function two years post-procedure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hepatology
- Transplantation Surgery
Background:
- A 63-year-old male patient with cirrhosis due to hepatitis C required evaluation for liver transplantation.
- The patient was also diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve area, 0.87 cm(2)) and coronary artery disease.
Observation:
- A complex surgical procedure was performed, including aortic valve replacement using a pericardial xenograft, coronary artery bypass surgery, and orthotopic liver transplantation.
Findings:
- The patient's convalescence was uneventful following the combined procedure.
- At two years post-surgery, the patient demonstrated normal cardiac function.
- Prosthetic valve function was good, and liver function tests were biochemically normal.
Implications:
- This case highlights the feasibility and success of combined cardiac and liver transplantation in patients with multiple critical comorbidities.
- Such combined procedures can offer a viable treatment option for patients with end-stage liver disease and severe cardiac conditions.
- Successful outcomes suggest improved long-term survival and quality of life for carefully selected patients.
Abstract:
During evaluation for liver transplantation, a 63-year-old man with cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve area, 0.87 cm(2)) and coronary artery disease. A combined procedure involving aortic valve replacement (pericardial xenograft), coronary artery bypass surgery, and orthotopic liver transplantation was performed. Convalescence was uneventful, and at 2 years after the procedure, the patient has normal cardiac function, good prosthetic valve function, and biochemically normal liver function.
