Post-transplant Biliary Complications Research Articles

Bile proteome reveals biliary regeneration during normothermic preservation of human donor livers

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) after static cold storage is increasingly used for preservation and assessment of human donor livers prior to transplantation. Biliary viability assessment during NMP reduces the risk of post-transplant biliary complications. However, understanding of molecular changes in the biliary system during NMP remains incomplete. We performed an in-depth, unbiased proteomics analysis of bile collected during sequential hypothermic machine perfusion, rewarming and NMP of 55 human donor livers. Longitudinal analysis during NMP reveals proteins reflective of cellular damage at early stages, followed by upregulation of secretory and immune response processes. Livers with bile chemistry acceptable for transplantation reveal protein patterns implicated in regenerative processes, including cellular proliferation, compared to livers with inadequate bile chemistry. These findings are reinforced by detection of regenerative gene transcripts in liver tissue before machine perfusion. Our comprehensive bile proteomics and liver transcriptomics data sets provide the potential to further evaluate molecular mechanisms during NMP and refine viability assessment criteria.

Impact of donor hepatic duct bifurcation location and angle on posttransplant biliary complications in recipients following living donor liver transplantation

Impact of donor hepatic duct bifurcation location and angle on posttransplant biliary complications in recipients following living donor liver transplantation

Effects of Preservation of Donor Liver Gastroduodenal Artery on Post-Transplant Biliary Complications in 187 Liver Transplant Recipients: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effects of preservation of the donor liver gastroduodenal artery on post-transplant biliary complications in 187 liver transplant recipients. MATERIAL AND METHODS The clinical data of 187 liver transplantation recipients were retrospectively analyzed. Recipients were divided into conventional and modified groups. The technical point of the modified group is to preserve at least 2 cm of the distal gastroduodenal artery, and pay special attention to preserve the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery to ensure the distal blood supply to the common bile duct. RESULTS The modified group had significantly shorter operative time (7.17 vs 7.98) h (P<0.001) and less intraoperative blood loss (2715.40 vs 3434.93) ml (P=0.003) than the conventional group. The incidence of postoperative biliary complications (including anastomotic biliary leakage, ischemic bile duct stenosis, and anastomotic bile duct stenosis) in the modified group (4/114, 4.1%) was significantly lower (15/73, 20.5%) (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the intraoperative cold and warm ischemia time and postoperative hospital stay length between the 2 groups. In addition, there was no significant difference in the effect of cardiac-death and brain-death sources on perioperative biliary complications, while the peak postoperative transaminase and total bilirubin were higher in patients receiving the donor liver of cardiac death (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Preserving the integrity of the donor gastroduodenal artery and surrounding tissue is beneficial to protect the blood supply of the extrahepatic bile duct, and can reduce the incidence of biliary complications.

Post-transplant biliary complications using liver grafts from deceased donors older than 70 years: Retrospective case-control study.

The shortage of liver grafts and subsequent waitlist mortality led us to expand the donor pool using liver grafts from older donors. To determine the incidence, outcomes, and risk factors for biliary complications (BC) in liver transplantation (LT) using liver grafts from donors aged > 70 years. Between January 1994 and December 31, 2019, 297 LTs were performed using donors older than 70 years. After excluding 47 LT for several reasons, we divided 250 LTs into two groups, namely post-LT BC (n = 21) and without BC (n = 229). This retrospective case-control study compared both groups. Choledocho-choledochostomy without T-tube was the most frequent technique (76.2% in the BC group vs 92.6% in the non-BC group). Twenty-one patients (8.4%) developed BC (13 anastomotic strictures, 7 biliary leakages, and 1 non-anastomotic biliary stricture). Nine patients underwent percutaneous balloon dilation and nine required a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy because of dilation failure. The incidence of post-LT complications (graft dysfunction, rejection, renal failure, and non-BC reoperations) was similar in both groups. There were no significant differences in the patient and graft survival between the groups. Moreover, only three deaths were attributed to BC. While female donors were protective factors for BC, donor cardiac arrest was a risk factor. The incidence of BC was relatively low on using liver grafts > 70 years. It could be managed in most cases by percutaneous dilation or Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, without significant differences in the patient or graft survival between the groups.

Co-Relation between MELD Scoring System prior Living Donor Liver Transplantation and Occurrence of Post-Transplant Biliary Complications

Background Liver transplantation is considered the treatment of choice for patients with end stage liver disease who have failed standard medical and surgical therapy. The development of liver transplantation has revolutionized the field of hepatology and greatly improved the outlook of patients suffering from various liver diseases. The Model for EndStage Liver Disease, or MELD, is a scoring system for assessing the severity of chronic liver disease. It was initially developed to predict mortality within three months of surgery in patients who had undergone a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure and was subsequently found to be useful in determining prognosis and prioritizing for receipt of a liver transplant. This score is now used by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Eurotransplant for prioritizing allocation of liver transplants instead of the older Child-Pugh score. Biliary tract complications are abundantly occurring post-operative, and they may include a variety of scenarios, as biliary leakage, ischemic bile duct injuries, and biliary stenosis. Aim of the Work Aim of the work is to study the relation between the Model of End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scoring system and the occurrence of post liver transplantation biliary complications. Patients and Methods A combined retrospective and prospective cohort study was carried out. We retrospectively analyzed the available database of all patients that underwent LDLT, at Ain Shams Center of Organ Transplantation (ASCOT), during the period from January 2013 till May 2019, and suffered from post-operative biliary complications during the first 3 months Post-operative and correlated it with their MELD score before the operation. To do so, we studied 50 patients that are aged more than or equal 18 years old, any gender, that underwent living donor liver transplantation. We excluded patients with cholestatic liver disease and patients that underwent preoperative biliary intervention. All patients were subjected to complete history taking and thorough clinical examination, full laboratory workup, full radiological workup, post-operative cholangiography and Endoscopic retrograde colangio-pancreatography if needed.

Management of Biliary Complications in Liver Transplant Recipients with Duct-To-Duct Anastomosis: A Single-Center Experience.

The aims of this study were to investigate biliary complications in liver transplant recipients with choledochocholedocho stomy anastomosis, to identify the risk factors for the development of such complications, and to evaluate the success of endoscopic approaches in liver transplant recipients. Between January 2013 and May 2021, a total of 238 patients with liver diseases underwent liver transplantation: 174 recipients undergoing choledochocholedochostomy anastomosis were included in the analysis. Their median age was 54.0 years. The median posttransplant follow-up period was 29 months. Hepatitis B virus infection (33%) was the most common indication for liver transplantation. Most patients (87%) received living donor liver transplantation. The overall prevalence of posttransplant biliary complications was 31%. Anastomotic biliary strictures were the most common biliary complications (72%), followed by biliary leakage (13%). The median time between endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and liver transplantation was 4 months, with a mean of 3 ± 1.6 sessions. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography-guided drainage and balloon dilation with or without stent placement was the most common treatment modalities for recipients with biliary strictures. The overall success rate of endoscopic treatment modalities was 83.3%, with 65% of the recipients exhibiting complete biochemical and endoscopic responses. The response did not differ significantly between living donor liver transplantation and cadaveric donor liver transplant recipients (P > .05). Three recipients required revision surgery for biliary complication repair. Six patients died due to biliary sepsis. Biliary stricture and leakages were the most common biliary complications after liver transplantation. Endoscopic treatment was successful in most recipients.

Radiologic findings of biliary complications post liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation is a potentially curative treatment for patients with acute liver failure, end-stage liver disease, and primary hepatic malignancy. Despite tremendous advancements in surgical techniques and immunosuppressive management, there remains a high rate of post-transplant complications, with one of the main complications being biliary complications. In addition to anastomotic leak and stricture, numerous additional biliary complications are encountered, including ischemic cholangiopathy due to the sole arterial supply of the bile ducts, recurrence of primary biliary disease, infections, biliary obstruction from stones, cast, or hemobilia, and less commonly cystic duct remnant mucocele, vanishing duct syndrome, duct discrepancy and kinking, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, retained stent, and ampullary dysfunction. This article presents an overview of biliary anatomy and surgical techniques in liver transplantation, followed by a detailed review of post-transplant biliary complications with their corresponding imaging findings on multiple modalities with emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging and MR cholangiopancreatography.

Novel strategies in liver graft preservation-The French perspective.

Given the increasing graft shortage, the transplant community is forced to use so called marginal liver grafts with a higher susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion injury. This exposes the recipient to a higher risk of graft failure and post-transplant complications. While static cold storage remains the gold standard in low-risk transplant scenarios, dynamic preservation strategies may allow to improve outcomes after transplantation of marginal liver grafts. Two dynamic preservation strategies, end-ischemic hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE) and continuous normothermic machine perfusion (cNMP), have been evaluated in randomized clinical trials. The results show improved preservation of liver grafts after cNMP and reduction of post-transplant biliary complications after HOPE. In comparison to cNMP, HOPE has the advantage of requiring less logistics and expertise with the possibility to return to default static cold storage. Both strategies allow to assess graft viability prior to transplantation and may thus contribute to optimizing graft selection and reducing discard rates. The use of dynamic preservation is rapidly increasing in France and results from a national randomized trial on the use of HOPE in marginal grafts will soon be available. Future applications should focus on controlled donation after circulatory death liver grafts, split grafts and graft treatment during perfusion. The final aim of dynamic liver graft preservation is to improve post-transplant outcomes, increase the number of transplanted grafts and allow expansion of transplant indications.

Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography Evaluation of Post-transplantation Complications in Pediatric Receipt: A Retrospective Cohort.

BackgroundThe 20-year survival rate in pediatric patients after liver transplantation (LT) was no more than 70%. Hepatic fibrosis is one of the principal factors affecting the long-term prognosis. Imaging evaluation was the first-line examination for pediatric liver graft assessment. However, the sensitivity and specificity were insufficient. Thus, two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) was performed to evaluate liver graft stiffness and complication in post-transplant pediatric receipt.Materials and MethodsIn this retrospective cohort, 343 pediatric recipients who underwent liver graft biopsy in our tertiary LT center were recruited between June 2018 and December 2020. The 2D-SWE evaluation, laboratory examination, routine post-transplant biopsy, and hepatic pathological assessment were performed.ResultsNinety-eight of the 343 pediatric patients were included according to the protocol. The Liver Stiffness Measurements (LSM) value of 2D-SWE was significantly elevated in post-transplant fibrosis (p < 0.0001). The LSM value of patients with post-transplant biliary complications (p < 0.0001) and biopsy-proven rejection (BPR, p = 0.0016) also rose compared to regular recovery patients. Concerning the sensitivity and specificity of 2D-SWE in diagnosing liver graft fibrosis, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 88%, and the optimal cutoff value was 10.3 kPa.ConclusionPediatric LSM by 2D-SWE was efficient. Routine 2D-SWE evaluation could be optimal to predict significant liver graft fibrosis.

Predictors of Early Repeat Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography After Liver Transplantation by Organ Donor Type

Background and AimsEndoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the first-line therapy for management of post-transplant biliary complications. We assess ERCP frequency and rate of early repeat ERCP and anastomotic stricture development across, living donor (LD), donation after cardiac death (DCD) and donation after brain death (DBD) liver transplant (LT) donor types. MethodsWe performed a single-center retrospective study of patients who underwent LT from January 2014 to December 2019. Proportion of patients requiring ERCP and number of ERCPs per patient were compared across donor types using analysis of variance and chi-squared methods. Logistic regression was used to assess the risk of early repeat ERCP, defined as ERCP within 28 days of preceding ERCP and anastomotic stricture development. ResultsA total of 509 LTs, 352 (69.2%) DBD, 101 (19.8%) DCD, and 56 (11.0%) LD were performed during the study period. A greater proportion of LD (51.8%) recipients required ERCP compared with DBD (28.7%) recipients (P ≤ 0.01). LD and DCD recipients required significantly greater number of median (interquartile range [IQR]) ERCPs compared with DBD recipients (8 [4, 12] vs 3 [2, 5], P < 0.01 and 4 [2, 6] vs 3 [2, 5], P = 0.05). Risk of early repeat ERCP was significantly higher in LD (odds ratio 9.2; 95% confidence interval 4.6-18.5) and DCD (OR 2.3; 95% confidence interval 1.2-4.5) recipients compared with DBD recipients. ConclusionLD and DCD recipients experience higher ERCP frequency and greater risk of early repeat ERCP compared with DBD recipients. Our results suggest the need to tailor ERCP management protocols for post-LT biliary complications based on donor type.

The incidence and risk factors of chronic rejection in acutely rejected pediatric liver transplantation

Background. Chronic graft rejection (CR) represents an increasing concern in pediatric liver transplantation (LT). Risk factors of CR in this population are uncertain. In present study, we aimed to ascertain if clinical parameters could predict the occurrence of CR in LT children.Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the results from 47 children who had experienced acute hepatic rejection in Namazee hospital, Shiraz, Iran during 2007–2017.Results. Out of 47 children, 22 (46.8%) and 25 (53.2%) were boys and girls respectively. Ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were observed in 20 (44.4%), 14 (31.1%), and 4 (9.1%) respectively. Posttransplant vascular and biliary complications were observed in 3 (7%) and 4 (9.3%) cases respectively. The mean time from LT to normalization of liver enzymes was 14.2 ± 7.5 days. The mean of acute rejection episodes was 1.4 ± 0.6 (median = 1 (22, 46.8%), range of 1–3). Six (12.7%) patients experienced CR. The mean time from LT to CR was 75 ± 28.4 days. A significant association was found between CR and patients’ condition (being inpatient or outpatient) before surgery (P = 0.03). No significant relationship was found between CR and post-transplant parameters except for biliary complications (P = 0.01). Both biliary complication (RR = 33.7, 95% CI: 2.2–511, P = 0.01) and inpatient status (RR = 10.9, 95% CI: 1.1–102.5, P = 0.03) significantly increased the risk of CR.Conclusion. Being hospitalized at the time of LT, and development of biliary complications might predict risk factors for development of CR in LT children.

Post-liver transplant biliary complications: Current knowledge and therapeutic advances.

Liver transplantation is the current standard of care for end-stage liver disease and an accepted therapeutic option for acute liver failure and primary liver tumors. Despite the remarkable advances in the surgical techniques and immunosuppressive therapy, the postoperative morbidity and mortality still remain high and the leading causes are biliary complications, which affect up to one quarter of recipients. The most common biliary complications are anastomotic and non-anastomotic biliary strictures, leaks, bile duct stones, sludge and casts. Despite the absence of a recommended treatment algorithm many options are available, such as surgery, percutaneous techniques and interventional endoscopy. In the last few years, endoscopic techniques have widely replaced the more aggressive percutaneous and surgical approaches. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography is the preferred technique when duct-to-duct anastomosis has been performed. Recently, new devices and techniques have been developed and this has led to a remarkable increase in the success rate of minimally invasive procedures. Understanding the mechanisms of biliary complications helps in their early recognition which is the prerequisite for successful treatment. Aggressive endoscopic therapy is essential for the reduction of morbidity and mortality in these cases. This article focuses on the common post-transplant biliary complications and the available interventional treatment modalities.

Post-transplant hepatic fibrosis in pediatric liver-small bowel transplant recipients: A single-center, retrospective, observational study.

Little is known about the prevalence of hepatic graft fibrosis in combined LSBT children. We aimed to determine the prevalence of and identify potential predictors for hepatic graft fibrosis in LSBT children and to compare them with those in LT children. We retrospectively included children younger than 19years who had received a primary LT/LSBT between 2000 and 2018 and had a liver biopsy performed at least 6months post-transplant. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to determine predictors associated with significant hepatic graft fibrosis (≥F2) in LSBT vs LT children. Ninety-six children (47 LSBT, 54 females) were included. The median post-transplant follow-up (years) was 12.8 in LT vs 10.5 in LSBT patients (P=.06). Hepatic graft fibrosis was found in 81.6% of LT vs 70.2% of LSBT children (P=.19), after a median time of 2.5years and 2.6years, respectively. On multivariate analyses, having post-transplant biliary complications was found to be associated with significant graft fibrosis in LT children, whereas AST/ALT ratio was found to predict significant hepatic graft fibrosis in LSBT children. The use of parenteral nutrition after transplant was not associated with significant hepatic graft fibrosis. The prevalence of hepatic graft fibrosis in LSBT children did not significantly differ from that in LT children, but the predictors may differ. Future studies should investigate the role of post-transplant autoimmune antibodies and donor-specific antibodies in the development and progression of hepatic graft fibrosis in LSBT children.

SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF POST LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION BILIARY COMPLICATIONS

Background: Biliary tract complications are the most common complications after liver transplantation and it remains a major source of morbidity in liver transplant patients. Non-operative treatment is often successful in early complications. Late complications presenting with leaks and obstruction are often more difficult to treat non-operatively and frequently require surgical treatment or re-transplantation. Some centers are more aggressive with management of biliary strictures and prefer early surgical intervention as opposed to multiple endoscopic dilations.Aim of the work: The aim of this study is to, discuss the surgical management of post-transplant biliary complications and its outcome and rate of success with or without previous non-surgical methods in the postoperative follow up.Patients and methods: This is a combined prospective and retrospective study conducted in DAR EL FOAD hospital, liver transplantation unitduring the period from 2011 till 2020. it included patient with post-transplant biliary complications who underwent surgical intervention with and without prior conservative trials. the study contains 14 patients who had failed non operative management. We discussed the surgical management and its outcome.Results: 380 patients underwent liver transplantation during this period. 45 had biliary complications, of them 31 patients were managed by non-surgical measures and those were excluded from our study. 14 patients underwent surgical intervention. we had 4 patients with stricture, 7 patients with leakage and 3 patients with stricture and leakage. two patient had recurrent biliary complications after surgery and there was only one mortality.Conclusion: Non-surgical measures are the primary treatment option for post transplantation biliary complications, but surgical management is the definite management for refractory cases with less hospital stay and recurrent admissions.

Biliary complications in donation after circulatory death liver transplantation: the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit's experience.

Biliary complications are the most common complications of donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver transplantation and the international experience with DCD transplants suggests increased rates of biliary complications compared to donation after brain death transplants. Therefore, it is important to understand factors that are associated with the development of biliary complications within the Australian DCD context in order to inform future practice. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of biliary complications after DCD liver transplantation at the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit and identify factors associated with this outcome. A retrospective analysis of all adult DCD liver transplants at the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit from 2007 to 2015 was undertaken. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of biliary complications and was censored on 31 December 2016. Recipients were then stratified into groups based on the development of biliary complications and risk factor analysis was performed. Biliary complications occurred in 35% of DCD transplants, including seven anastomotic strictures and 10 non-anastomotic strictures. Higher donor risk index scores (P = 0.03), post-transplant portal vein complications (P = 0.042) and peak gamma-glutamyl transferase levels within 7 days post-transplant (P = 0.047) were associated with biliary complications. Findings from this study demonstrate that biliary complications remain common in DCD liver recipients. Recipients who developed a biliary complication tended to have higher donor risk index, elevated peak gamma-glutamyl transferase levels within 7 days post-transplant or a portal vein complication. The presence of any of these factors should prompt close monitoring for post-transplant biliary complications.

The long-term outcomes of deceased-donor liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis: a two-center study in China

Background & AimsFactors that influence the outcomes after deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) are not well known. We aimed to clarify these effects on the outcomes after DDLT.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed patients with PBC who underwent DDLT from March 2006 to July 2018 at the organ transplantation center of the First Hospital of Jilin University and the First Central Hospital of Tianjin. Changes in liver function were assessed posttransplantation. Recurrence, survival rate, and complications were recorded at follow-up. The effect of liver transplantation on survival and recurrence was evaluated using univariate and/or multivariate Cox regression analyses.ResultsIn total, 69 patients with PBC undergoing DDLT were included in this study. At 4 weeks posttransplant, all liver function tests were normal. During a median follow-up time of 32 months, 5-year overall survival and recurrence rates were estimated as 95.1% and 21.8%, respectively. A recipient aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) greater than 2 was negatively associated with survival (P = 0.0018). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that age younger than 48 years was an independent risk factor for recurrent PBC in recipients undergoing liver transplantation (hazard ratio 0.028, 95% confidence interval 0.01–0.71, P = 0.03). Posttransplant infections (62%) and biliary tract complications (26%) were the most common complications.ConclusionLiver transplantation is an effective treatment for patients with PBC. Liver function normalizes by 4 weeks posttransplant. Although posttransplant survival rate is high, recurrence is possible. To some extent, survival rate and recurrence rate can be predicted by APRI and age, respectively.

Decreased long-term graft survival in persistent biliary complications after right-lobe living-donor liver transplantation.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic treatment of post-transplant biliary complications have not been fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of biliary complications on graft survival after right-lobe living-donor liver transplantation (R-LDLT). From a single-institutional prospectively maintained database, all patients who underwent R-LDLT between 1999 and 2017 were included. Data on patient demographics, complications, endoscopic treatment, and graft survival were retrieved for analyses. Among 111 patients who underwent R-LDLT, 33 (29.7%) developed biliary complications; of these, 19 (17.1%) were treated with biliary stenting, and the stent was removed following resolution of biliary complications in 8 of the 19 (42.1%) patients. The graft survival rate was 88.0% and 85.6% at 5- and 10-year follow-up, respectively, in patients without biliary complications, which was similar to that of the patients with resolved biliary complications (81.3% at 5- and 10-year follow-up, P=.68) but higher than that of patients having persistent (unresolved) biliary complications (61.4% and 49.1% at 5- and 10-year follow-up, respectively, P=.04). Post-transplant persistent biliary complications, unresolved after endoscopic management and requiring prolonged biliary stenting, are associated with inferior graft survival. However, patients with resolved biliary complications achieve a favorable long-term survival similar to patients without biliary complications.

Percutaneous Management of Posttransplant Biliary Complications

AbstractInterventional radiology plays a major role in the management of posttransplant biliary complications. This review aims to discuss biliary complications of liver transplantation and will outline the role of interventional radiology, diagnosis, and management of these problems.

Biliary Complications Following Pediatric Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Risk Factors, Treatments, and Prognosis.

We present retrospective analysis of our 15-year experience with pediatric living donor liver transplantation, focusing on the risk factors, treatments, and long-term prognosis for posttransplant biliary complications (BCs). Between May 2001 and December 2017, 290 living donor liver transplantations were performed. The median age was 1.4 years old. The median observation period was 8.4 years. Biliary strictures were classified as anastomotic stricture (AS) or non-AS (NAS). Overall incidence of biliary complications was 18.6%, including AS in 46 cases, NAS in 6, and other classifications in 2. The mean period to diagnosis of the AS was 641 ± 810 postoperative days. The multivariate analysis showed that hepaticojejunostomy without external stent was an independent risk factor for AS (P = 0.011). The first treatments for AS were percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in 25 cases, double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in 19, and surgical reanastomosis in 2. The success and recurrence rates of PTBD treatments were 90.9% and 22.7%, respectively. The success and recurrence rates of endoscopic interventions under DBE were 93.6% and 75.3%, respectively. The 15-year graft survival rates in patients with and without AS were 95.7% and 89.1%, respectively (P = 0.255), but 2 patients with cholangitis due to multiple NAS underwent retransplantation. Posttransplant AS can be prevented by hepaticojejunostomy using external stent, and the long-term prognosis is good with early treatments using DBE or PTBD. However, the prognosis of multiple NAS is poor.

Role of Preoperative Viral Load and Presence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Biliary Complications After Liver Transplantation Due to Hepatitis C Virus

BackgroundChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem, and the need for liver transplants is ever-growing. For optimal surgical success, risk factors must be identified and HCV viral load must be reduced to a minimum to avoid complications. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of HCV viral load on the post-transplant biliary complications. MethodBetween 2004 and 2018, the cases of 114 liver transplant recipients with HCV infection were retrospectively reviewed. Data collection included demographic variables, preoperative and postoperative amount of serum HCV RNA copies, preoperative diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and postoperative biliary complications in the early and late period. After missing values were excluded, the remaining 97 patients were divided into 2 groups according to preoperative HCV RNA status (Group A: HCV RNA [+] and Group B: HCV RNA [-]). ResultsDemographic parameters were similar among both groups. There were 67 patients in Group A and 30 patients in Group B. The overall rate of biliary complications was higher in Group A without statistical significance (20% [n = 14] vs 13% [n = 4], respectively, P = .573). Biliary stricture occurrence in the late period was also higher in Group A. In HCC (+) patients (n = 26), biliary complications were significantly higher compared to HCC (-) patients (34% vs 12%, P = .018). However, in patients with biliary complications, the rate of multiple duct anastomoses was higher with no statistical significance (45% vs 26%, respectively, P = .14). ConclusionThe biliary complications on patient survival has been previously established, and this is mostly evident in those patients with viral etiology and hepatocellular carcinoma. As was also suggested in our study, hepatocellular carcinoma and positive viral status should be considered as predisposing factors for postoperative biliary complications after liver transplantation. However, the rate of multiple duct anastomoses should also be taken into consideration. New standards of antiviral medications and bridge therapy for HCC may improve transplant outcomes.