[Orthotopic liver transplantation using timely veno-venous bypass]

The authors present their own experience in the use of veno-venous bypass during the anhepatic phase of orthotopic liver transplantation. The selected hemodynamic parameters (arterial pressure, central venous pressure, peripheral resistance) of the anhepatic phase as well as the effects of the graft reperfusion were analyzed in the group of 14 adult orthotopic liver allograft recipients transplanted in the Dept. of General Surgery & Liver Diseases from December 1994 to April 1997. In conclusion, the use of the veno-venous bypass allowed to avoid severe hemodynamic disturbances during the anhepatic phase and to minimize the complications of the reperfusion syndrome. The possibility of the relatively safe prolongation of the anhepatic phase is particularly important during the period of gaining experience by the surgeons and anesthesiologists.