Percutaneous interventional treatment for portal vein stenosis after liver transplantation

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of the interventional treatment for portal vein stenosis in patients who had undergone liver transplantation.Methods From Apr.2004 to Oct.2011,30 patients with portal vein stenosis after liver transplantation were referred for angiographic analysis and interventional treatment. All patients had typical clinical signs and symptoms or surveillance by imaging.After percutaneous transhepatic portography and balloon angioplasty,stents were deployed.Embolization was performed on patients with varices or portal vein flow changes.The therapeutic results were monitored by the follow-up on clinical symptoms,laboratory tests and imaging examinations.Results Angiography was performed successfully on all patients.Twenty-four patients received balloon dilation and 26 stents were deployed subsequently.The guide-wire cannot pass through the lesion of portal trunk in 1patient.Four patients received balloon angioplasty only.The technical success rate was 96.7％ (29/30).Stainless steel coils were applied in 7 patients for varices embolization.The complication related to interventional treatment was bleeding in thoracic cavity which happened in 2 patients.Portal vein patency was maintained in all the patients who received interventional treatment for 1-72 months (mean 21.5 months).No re-stenosis was identified.Conclusion Interventional therapy is an effective method for the treatment of portal vein stenosis after liver transplantation and excellent patency can be achieved by this method. Key words: Liver transplantation; Portal vein; Graft occlusion, vascular; Interventional treatment