Jung-Man Namkoong

More Than 300 Consecutive Living Donor Liver Transplants a Year at a Single Center

BACKGROUND Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been the first option for the patients requiring liver transplantation in East Asia because of the scarcity of cadaveric grafts. We have performed consecutively more than 300 LDLTs per year, and herein report our methods. METHODS In 1997, the first successful adult LDLTs used a left and subsequently a right lobe. However, congestion in the anterior segment of right-lobe grafts prompted us to initiate reconstruction of middle hepatic venous tributaries in 1998. Dual LDLT grafts using 2 left lobes were developed in 2000 to solve graft-size insufficiency and minimize donor risk. The indications for adult LDLT were broadened to near complete obstruction of the portal vein by application of intraoperative cine-portography and portal vein stenting in 2004. ABO-incompatible adult LDLT was initiated in 2008 to overcome the blood group barrier between recipient and donor. RESULTS With various innovations at our institution, 317 LDLTs were performed yearly in 2010 and 2011: 301 in 2010 and 298 in 2011. The most common primary diseases was hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis with or without hepatocellular carcinoma (64.3%). The most common graft types were right hemiliver (82.6%). There has been no donor mortality. ABO-incompatible LDLT cases were 11.0% of the total. In-hospital mortality in 2011 was 2.5% (n = 8; adult 6, pediatric 2). CONCLUSION Innovations in operative techniques and perioperative care as well as dedicated team members have made it possible to perform more than 300 LDLTs per year consecutively with excellent outcomes.

Toward More Than 400 Liver Transplantations a Year at a Single Center

BACKGROUND For the first time at Asan Medical Center (AMC) we performed more than 400 liver transplantations (LTs) per year in 2011, despite same number of living donor liver transplantations (LDLTs). METHODS Our OLT program was started in 1992, but not activated well due to the scarcity of deceased donor organs. Since adult LDLTs using a left lobe and then a right lobe were successfully performed in 1997, we have developed several innovative techniques and approaches for adult LDLT, for example, modified right-lobe graft reconstructing middle hepatic branches in 1998, dual graft LDLT using 2 left lobes in 2000; new criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); as well as ABO-incompatible LDLT, the first in the world. As a result, the number of LDLTs has increased rapidly but reached a plateau recently. Nationwide efforts to promote deceased donation increased the number of deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). RESULTS We have performed 317 LDLTs per year in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The number of LTs reached 403 in 2011. This large number was possible due to a remarkable increase of DDLTs from 50 in 2010 to 86 in 2011. Seventy-nine patients (68.1%) among 116 patients (28.8%) required an urgent LT receiving a DDLT. LT for HCC or ABO-mismatch comprised 50.3% (n = 150) or 8.7% (n = 35), respectively. In-hospital mortality rate in 2011 was 4.7%. CONCLUSIONS The increased LTs number at AMC was aided by the nationwide campaign.

Section 6. Management of extensive nontumorous portal vein thrombosis in adult living donor liver transplantation.

Background Patent portal vein (PV) and adequate portal inflow is essential for successful living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). In extensive portal vein thrombosis (PVT) patients, however, complete PV thrombectomy is not feasible particularly at intrapancreatic portion, and subsequently portal flow steal through preexisting sizable collaterals or rethrombosis can occur. To overcome those problems, we introduced interruption of sizable collaterals and intraoperative cine-portogram (IOP), which is useful for diagnosis and treatment of residual PVT and sizable collaterals. Methods Fourteen percent of adult LDLT (188/1399) had PVT from February 2008 to December 2012 and were subdivided into Yerdel’s grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 based on preoperative imaging and operative findings. Considering the severity of PVT and presence of sizable collaterals, the managements were as follows: thrombectomy alone, additional PV plasty, PV stenting, interposition graft, or additional interruption of collaterals. Results The Yerdel’s grade of PVT patients were 1 (42%), 2 (54%), 3 (3%), and 4 (1%). One hundred one (77%) patients underwent interruption of sizable collaterals. The most common management for PVT was thrombectomy alone in grades 1 and 2, thrombectomy plus PV stenting and/or ballooning in grade 3, and interposition graft in grade 4. In LDLT for PVT patients, 1-year mortality was 9%, and PV-related complication occurred in 5%. The severity of PVT made no difference in the outcome. Conclusion Multi-disciplinary approaches including surgical correction of PVT, IOP, and interruption of sizable collaterals resulted in excellent outcome, and it was not affected by the severity of PVT.

Restoration of portal flow using a pericholedochal varix in adult living donor liver transplantation for patients with total portosplenomesenteric thrombosis

In total portosplenomesenteric thrombosis patients, cavoportal hemitransposition (CPHT) is indicated but rarely applicable for adult‐to‐adult (A‐to‐A) living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) because partial liver graft requires splanchno‐portal inflow for liver graft regeneration. If intra‐ & peri‐pancreatic collaterals draining into pericholedochal varix were present, pericholedochal varix may provide splanchnic blood flow to the transplanted liver and also relieve recipients portal hypertension. To date, however, there is no successful report using pericholedochal varix in liver transplantation (LT). We successfully performed A‐to‐A LDLTs using pericholedochal varix for those 2 patients. The surgical strategies are followings: (a) dissection of hepatic hilum to isolate left hepatic artery using for arterial reconstruction of implanted right lobe graft, (b) en‐mass clamping of the undissected remaining hilum if we can leave adequate length of stump from the clamping site, and then hilum is divided, (c) delay the donor hepatectomy until the feasibility of the recipient operation is confirmed. Portal flow was established between the sizable pericholedochal varix (caliber > 1cm) and graft portal vein, but the individually designed approaches were used for each patients. Currently, they have been enjoying normal life on posttransplant 92 and 44 months respectively. In conclusion, enlarged pericholedochal varix in patients with totally obliterated splanchnic veins might be an useful inflow to restore portal flow and secure good outcome in A‐to‐A LDLT. Liver Transpl 20:612–615, 2014.

No-Touch En Bloc Right Lobe Living-Donor Liver Transplantation with Inferior Vena Cava Replacement for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Close to Retrohepatic Inferior Vena Cava: Case Report

Current studies have shown that living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) satisfying the Milan criteria does not compromise patient survival or increase HCC recurrence compared with deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT). For patients with HCC beyond the Milan criteria, however, worse outcomes are expected after LDLT than after DDLT, despite insufficient data to reach a conclusion. Regarding operative technique, LDLT might be a less optimal cancer operation for HCC located at the hepatic vein confluence and/or paracaval portion. The closeness to the wall of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) is greater than in conventional DDLT, rendering it difficult to perform a no-touch en bloc total hepatectomy. An LDLT, which must preserve the native IVC for the piggyback technique during engraftment, may lead to tumor remnants. To reduce recurrences after LDLT, we successfully performed a no-touch en bloc total hepatectomy including the retrohepatic IVC and all 3 hepatic veins. IVC replacement with an artificial vascular graft together with a modified right-lobe LDLT was performed for a patient having advanced HCC close to the hepatic vein confluence and paracaval portion. There was no artificial vascular graft-related complication, such as thrombosis or infection. Despite the limitations of LDLT, requiring the piggyback technique for graft implantation, IVC replacement using an artificial graft led us to perform a no-touch en bloc total hepatectomy as with a conventional DDLT.