Hepatic hilum management in 250 liver-multivisceral procurements

An accurate in vivo preparation of the hepatic hilum is a fundamental prerequisite for a successful multiorgan transplantation. Our preferred technique in this surgical setting is in vivo procurement in the heart-beating donor. This technique allows an effective exposition of the hilum structures and recognition of anatomical vascular variants, particularly those of the hepatic artery. Also, the cold ischemia time is drastically reduced, and the back-table preparation is left to a minimum. In this article we show the results of a consecutive series of 250 procurements.