Post Liver Transplant Biliary Complications and Management in Local University Hospital

Abstract

Introduction Biliary complications have still remained as major problem after liver transplant (LT) and accepted as Achilles’ heel. Herein, we introduce our experience of biliary complications after LT in small volume center. Methods From November 2002 to July 2017, 100 patients underwent LT at Dongsan Medical center, Daegu, Korea. Among these patients, 60 patients underwent deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) and 40 patients underwent living donor liver transplant (LDLT). Medical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively Results Among these patients, biliary complications (bile leakage in 10 patients and bile duct stricture in 26 patients) were developed in 28 patients (28%). For the management of biliary complications, reoperation was performed in 2 patients for bile leakage, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in 11 patients and endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) in 22 patients for bile leakage and biliary stricture. All patients were improved after treatment and followed up without biliary problem until now. Conclusion The rate of biliary complications in our center was comparable with that of other centers reported previously and the outcome of treatment was acceptable. Co-operation with interventionist and gastroenterologist is important to overcome biliary complications after liver transplant.