Influence of Bile Duct Diameter on Biliary Complications After Liver Transplantation

Biliary complications after liver transplantation have a high incidence of and a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. The primary aim of this study was to assess the influence of bile duct diameter on biliary complications and to determine whether a critical diameter for such complications could be determined. The secondary aim was to identify additional factors associated with biliary complications. Two hundred and seventy-three recipients of liver transplantation with biliary anastomosis without a T-tube were analyzed from December 2013 to December 2018. Patients with a follow-up of less than 6 months were excluded, except for those with biliary complications (including death). Intraoperative measurements of bile duct diameter and other variables potentially related to complications were recorded prospectively, and their association with biliary complications was analyzed. Our results show that neither donor nor recipient bile duct diameters were risk factors for the development of biliary complications. However, bile duct size mismatch between recipient and donor was found to be a risk factor. Additional associated risk factors were arterial ischemia time, arterial complications, bench arterial reconstruction, and intraoperative blood transfusion.