Recommendations for Hepatic Artery Anastomosis in Liver Transplantation: A Group Experience

Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is a severe complication following living-donor liver transplantation that can be fatal if revascularization is not achieved. This study aims to present the 8-year experience of the Organ Transplantation Clinic at Harran University Faculty of Medicine.

From 2014 to 2021, a total of 56 patients, comprising 35 men (62.5%) and 21 women (37.5%), who underwent either living-donor or cadaveric liver transplantation were included in the study. In cadaveric recipients, a continuous suture technique with 7/0 polypropylene was used, and in living-donor graft recipients, an interrupted suture technique with 7/0 polypropylene was performed in anastomosis. All patients received an intraoperative dose of 2500 to 5000 units (60 U/kg) of heparin prior to anastomosis. Doppler ultrasound was performed on all patients following the anastomosis.

Three out of the 56 patients (5.35%) developed HAT on postoperative day 1. One of these patients underwent hepatic artery revision on postoperative day 1, with no subsequent rethrombosis. The second patient underwent retransplantation on postoperative day 1. However, this patient could not tolerate the reoperation and passed away on the second day after transplantation. The last patient underwent endovascular stenting on postoperative day 1. However, this patient experienced rethrombosis on the first day after the procedure and rapidly deteriorated hemodynamically, which proved fatal.

HAT directly affects postoperative patient morbidity and mortality. The outcomes are favorable when hepatic artery anastomosis is performed using 7/0 polypropylene, with a continuous suture technique for cadaveric cases and an interrupted suture technique for living-donor cases, and is carried out by experienced hands.