Brachial plexus injury following liver transplantation

We examined 7 adults with brachial plexus injury following liver transplantation; they were among 120 transplants performed over a 10-month period (incidence, 5.8%). The lesion was right-sided in 5 patients, left-sided in 1, and bilateral in 1. The affected side correlated with the axillary veno-venous shunt in 3 lesions only. All noted weakness and sensory loss shortly after recovery from general anesthesia. The EMG examination indicated axonal lesions, and recovery was protracted.