Interventional radiology procedures in pediatric patients with complications after liver transplantation

Interventional radiologists play a key role in treating vascular and nonvascular complications of pediatric liver transplantation, improving graft and patient survival and in most cases avoiding the need for surgical revision or repeat transplantation. The interventional radiology procedures most commonly used in this context include percutaneous and transjugular liver biopsies performed with ultrasonographic and fluoroscopic guidance for the diagnosis of graft disease; angioplasty and stent placement for treatment of vascular and biliary occlusion, stenosis, and stricture; and catheter placement for drainage of fluid collections. Since interventional radiology procedures themselves may lead to complications, it is important that the radiologist be familiar with the indications for a particular procedure, the technical considerations, and the expected results, as well as with normal and abnormal postintervention imaging appearances.