E. Moreno González

Reuse of Liver Grafts after Early Death of the First Recipient

Abstract. Three cases are reported of reuse of a transplanted liver graft after early death of the first recipient due to cerebral hemorrhage. The good condition of the donors; the excellent biochemical evolution of the graft in the first recipients; total ABO compatibility and donor-recipient crossmatch; the absence of positivity to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and bacteriologic cultures; and early death made reuse possible. The shortage of donors in relation to patients on the waiting list and the poor clinical condition of the second recipients made it necessary to adopt the decision to reuse the graft in an attempt to save their lives. The evolution of the patients and the reused grafts was satisfactory, and there were no complications that could be attributed to the fact that the graft had been transplanted before.

Malignancy After Liver Transplantation: Cumulative Risk for Development

BACKGROUND Solid organ recipients are at high risk to develop malignancies due to the complex interactions of several factors, constituting a major cause of late death after transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed an historic cohort of adult liver recipients from cadaveric donors (multiorgan recipients excluded) performed from 1986-2002 with a minimum follow-up of 36 months. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess cumulative risk to develop malignancy and survival analyses. RESULTS Among the 528 patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) with a mean follow-up of 2400 days, 98 developed cancer among which 25% were skin malignancies. Sixty-seven patients developed at least 1 noncutaneous malignancy, an overall incidence of 12.7%. Eighteen percent suffered from posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease; 14%, lung cancer; 4%, Kaposis sarcoma; 7%, genitourinary malignancies; and 17%, oropharyngeal or laryngeal cancer. The cumulative patient risks to develop noncutaneous malignancies at 5, 10, and 15 years posttransplantation were 9% (confidence interval [CI]: 0.06-0.11), 18% (CI: 0.14-0.23), and 25% (CI: 0.18-0.31), respectively. CONCLUSIONS OLT recipients are at higher risk to develop malignancies after transplantation, reaching a cumulative risk of 25% at 15 years. Long-term surveillance measures and screening programs must be seriously conducted for selected groups.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: our experience from 1986.

Abstract Currently liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for early hepatocellular carcinoma and end-stage liver disease. We analyzed our experience to identify factors that could be used to select patients who will benefit from liver transplantation. Patients and methods From April 1986 to December 2001, 71 (8.7%) of 816 LT performed in our institution, were for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. In 25 patients the tumor was observed incidental by (35.2%). All patients had liver cirrhosis, most due to hepatitis C related (35) or alcoholic (14) diseases. Before liver transplantation, chemoembolization was performed in 18 patients (25.4%). Results Bilateral involvement was present in seven patients. Eight patients showed macroscopic vascular invasion, and eight others showed satellite nodules. Most patients were stage TNM II (29) and IVa (16). Overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival were 79.3%, 61%, and 50.3% with recurrence-free survivals of 74.6%, 57.5%, and 49%, respectively. With a mean follow-up of 42 months, 12 patients (19%) developed recurrence and 29 patients died (only 11 due to recurrence). Stage TNM IVa, macrocopic vascular invasion, and the presence of satellite nodules significantly affected overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates and histologic differentiation and bilateral involvement only recurrence-free survival. Patients with solitary tumors less than 5 cm or no more than three nodules smaller than 3 cm showed better recurrence-free survival and lower recurrence rates. Discussion In our experience, liver transplantation proffers good recurrence-free survival and low recurrence rates among patients with limited tumor extension. The most important prognostic factor was macroscopic vascular invasion.

Porcine acellular dermal matrix for delayed abdominal wall closure after pediatric liver transplantation

Children are one of the groups with the highest mortality rate on the waiting list for LT. Primary closure of the abdominal wall is often impossible in the pediatric population, due to a size mismatch between a large graft and a small recipient. We present a retrospective cohort study of six pediatric patients, who underwent delayed abdominal wall closure with a biological mesh after LT, and in whom early closure was impossible. A non‐cross‐linked porcine‐derived acellular dermal matrix (Strattice™ Reconstructive Tissue Matrix; LifeCell Corp, Bridgewater, NJ, USA) was used in all of the cases of the series. After a mean follow‐up of 26 months (21–32 months), all patients were asymptomatic, with a functional abdominal wall after physical examination. Non‐cross‐linked porcine‐derived acellular dermal matrix (Strattice™) is a good alternative for delayed abdominal wall closure after pediatric LT. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the best moment and the best technique for abdominal wall closure.

Short- and Long-Term Overall Results of Liver Retransplantation: “Doce de Octubre” Hospital Experience

INTRODUCTION The liver retransplantation rate in Spain is about 6%. The main causes are primary nonfunction, vascular complications, chronic rejection, and recurrent liver disease. The results of this procedure are worse than those of first transplantations. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective study evaluated our experience with 54 retransplantations performed between January 1992 and December 2006, which were 5.6% of the 960 orthotopic liver transplantations (OLT) during this period. RESULTS In this study, 34.7% of the retransplantations were performed between 4 and 30 days after the first transplantation; another 34.7% were within 1 year. Also, 48.9% of the retransplantations were performed in urgent situations. The main causes for retransplantation during the first month were primary hepatic failure (n = 14) and vascular complications (n = 4). After the first month the main causes were chronic rejection (n = 9), recurrence of hepatic disease (n = 3), and biliary complications (n = 4). Postoperative mortality was 23.9% and morbidity was 76.3%. However, 21.2% of the patients needed a third transplant. The overall rate of patient survival was 60.4% (n = 32) and of graft survival was 56.6% (n = 30). The 5-year actuarial graft survival rate was 65.4% with a mean survival time of 89.84 +/- 8.72 months; the 5-year patient survival rate was 64% with a mean survival time of 114.7 +/- 12.53 months. Worse survival was observed in chronic rejection and in retransplantations performed between 31 and 360 days. CONCLUSIONS Liver retransplantation presents greater surgical complexity than the first transplantation, but is a good option for patients with failure of the first graft with a 5-year patient and graft survival rate greater than 65%.

Disseminated Nocardiosis: A Rare Infectious Complication Following Non-Heart-Beating Donor Liver Transplantation

Nocardiosis is an infrequent disease that affects patients who display a cellular immunodeficiency, such as transplant recipients on immunosuppressive treatment, but uncommonly associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Disseminated Nocardiosis affecting the central nervous system (CNS), abdomen, skin, and lungs has been described in bone marrow, lung, and kidney transplant recipients. However, to our knowledge, no cases involving all of these structures have been reported in liver transplant recipients. Herein, we have reported a case of CNS, pulmonary, and cutaneous nocardiosis in a liver transplant recipient who experienced hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and received the organ from a non-heart-beating donor. At posttransplantation month 7 the patient was admitted to the emergency department with poor general health status, fever, edema, and subcutaneous nodules in the legs. A computed tomography scan revealed multiple nodules disseminated through both lungs, abdomen, brain, and subcutaneous tissue. A needle biopsy was performed into one of the subcutaneous nodules. Cultures of the material tested positive for Nocardia farcinica. Thus, we started treatment with intravenous sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP), shifting after 1 month to oral therapy. Radiological examination performed after 2 weeks of treatment showed a 70% reduction in subcutaneous, pulmonary, and cerebral lesions. After 6 months of SMZ-TMP treatment, the patient remained free of the symptoms with involution of the subcutaneous nodules and significant radiological improvement. Among opportunistic infections appearing in liver transplant recipients, Nocardia species should have special consideration according to the success of early treatment and the bad prognosis in cases of delayed diagnosis.

Kaposi's visceral sarcoma in liver transplant recipients.

We report three cases of Kaposis sarcoma after orthotopic liver transplantation performed for cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus (one case), ethanol (one case), or both (one case). All patients displayed disease within the first year after liver transplantation, and only in one case was the diagnosis obtained before the patient died. All three patients were on tacrolimus-steroid therapy, and in one case mycophenolate mofetil was added to treat acute persistent rejection.

Live liver donation: a prospective analysis of exclusion criteria for healthy and potential donors

INTRODUCTION Living donor liver transplantation represents a controversial option to increase the donor pool. DESIGN Prospective and descriptive clinical study. OBJECTIVE (1) To identify risk factors (exclusion criteria) for live donation; (2) to determine the rate of recipients that benefit from a living donor. METHODS Between May 1995 (first adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation in Spain) and November 2002, we evaluated 74 healthy volunteers and performed 12 living donor liver transplants (no donor mortality). RESULTS All actual donors and volunteers are alive and healthy. After a mean time of 3.2+/-0.5 weeks, 72% of potential donors were considered unsuitable for live donation. Exclusion criteria were grouped in three categories: (primary) donor safety reasons (68%); (secondary): ABO mismatch (17%) and (tertiary): cadaveric graft transplantation (15%). Consequently, just 43.7% of the recipients presenting to us with a potential living donor, did finally benefit from these organs. The mortality rate was 8.3% for 43 recipients presenting with a living donor in comparison to 15% for those who did not (321 recipients between May 1995 and November 2001). CONCLUSIONS ALDLT can benefit a significant number of recipients on the waiting list (43.7% of those presenting with a donor). The most frequent exclusion criteria concern donor safety, namely, unsuspected chronic liver diseases and unsuspected thrombophilic disorders.

Results of surgery for cancer of the rectum with sphincter conservation: a randomized study on instrumental versus manual anastomosis

We present results obtained in a group of patients included in a randomized study from 1979 to 1985 for evaluation of mechanical anastomosis after anterior resection for cancer of the rectum; 113 patients were operated on, 58 with manual and 55 with instrumental anastomosis. There was no significant difference in morbidity or mortality between the groups. The incidence of anastomotic fistulas (clinical and subclinical) was similar (12% vs. 15%), although a large number of tumors in the lower third of rectum was treated by manual anastomosis. Concerning late complications, more stenoses, although mainly asymptomatic, were detected after instrumental anastomosis (15% vs. 6%). The incidence of local recurrence within 3 years was quite similar in the 2 groups (about 15%), and usually occurred in patients who already had generalized disease.

Complicaciones de la cirugía de las hernias

Resumen La reparacion de una hernia inguinal es el procedimiento quirurgico mas frecuente realizado por los cirujanos generales y, quizas, el que mayor numero de opciones tecnicas presenta. Aunque en los ultimos anos se ha conseguido reducir la incidencia de complicaciones y en especial de la recidiva herniaria, no existe en la actualidad una tecnica que haya logrado imponerse como tratamiento ideal. Por ello, es fundamental para prevenir las complicaciones un conocimiento claro de la fisiologia y anatomia de la region inguinal, de los factores de riesgo del paciente y especialmente un dominio de la tecnica quirurgica que se va a realizar. Dentro de las complicaciones locales los seromas tienen una incidencia del 5%. En nuestra serie la tasa fue del 6% en las hernias primarias y del 8,7% en las terciarias. La infeccion de la herida operatoria fue del 1,3%, si bien parece que la infeccion en la via laparoscopica es menor que en la via convencional. La incidencia de hematomas, que se situa en las publicaciones en torno al 5%, fue del 2,7% en nuestra serie, sin que hayamos podido encontrar otras complicaciones de las que se describen en los textos. Las neuralgias, como las describe Chevrel, han estado presentes en el 2,1% de los casos con una duracion superior a las 6 semanas, desapareciendo posteriormente con tratamiento. Las lesiones viscerales son infrecuentes, y en nuestra serie unicamente la lesion vesical estuvo presente en 2 casos (0,2%). Las orquitis isquemica y de atrofia testicular son descritas como complicaciones testiculares. La orquitis se encontro en el 4,6% de los pacientes y solo hubo un caso de atrofia testicular. La complicacion mas frecuente a largo plazo es la recidiva, que dependiendo de la tecnica quirurgica realizada, se situa entre el 3 y el 23% en las tecnicas sin protesis y entre el 0 y el 10% cuando se utiliza malla. En nuestra serie estos ultimos tienen una tasa del 0,1%. La incidencia de la recidiva en las correcciones laparoscopicas se situa en torno al 2%, dependiendo de la experiencia del equipo quirurgico.