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Abstract: Background: Loco‐regional complications of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) may adversely affect technical aspects of the liver transplantation (LT). This study reviewed the impact of those complications on postoperative outcomes encompassing implications on graft selection. Methods: A retrospective, propensity score matching (1:1) analysis accounting for donor and recipient confounders was performed on a dataset of patients undergoing LT for hepatocellular carcinoma. Outcomes of patients who had TACE (TACE‐group) were compared with those who did not (NoTACE‐group). Results: A total of 57 matched pairs were analyzed. TACE achieved effective tumor control (Pre‐TACE vs Post‐TACE; Median: 44 mm [interquartile range: 43‐50] vs 17 mm [0‐36]; P = .002) on imaging follow‐up. TACE group had, at the hepatectomy, higher incidence of ischemia‐related complications (adhesions of the necrotic tumor, cholecystitis, and/or bile duct necrosis) (40.4% vs 10.5%; P = .001). Overall major post‐LT complications rate (Dindo‐Clavien ≥3) were similar (P = .134). Those in the TACE group with donors after circulatory death (DCD) had 4.6% 90‐day mortality and 54.3% major complication rate compared to 6.9% and 77.3% (P = .380 and P = .112, respectively). Conclusion: TACE was an effective bridging procedure that may complicate LT inducing ischemic‐related complications; nevertheless, it has not shown repercussions on mortality or morbidity after the procedure, even using donors after circulatory death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Due to the current organ shortage, nearly 20% of patients die waiting for a liver transplant ( LT). The average donor age is on the rise, and grafts from elderly donors are offered as extended criteria grafts. Methods This is a meta-analysis comparing the outcome differences of adult patients undergoing LT using grafts from <70-year-old donors vs >70-year-old donors. The primary end-points were graft and patient survival. Secondary outcomes were biliary and vascular complications as well as graft function. The odds ratio ( OR) is a summary statistic with the corresponding 95% confidence interval; P < .05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results Eight nonrandomized comparative studies with 4376 LT recipients were included. About 79.9% and 20.1% of the grafts were from <70-year-old and >70-year-old donors, respectively. Graft survival at 1 year was similar between the two groups ( P = .11), but there was better 3-year and 5-year graft survival in the >70-year-old group ( P = .006 and P < .0001, respectively). Patient survival was also similar between the groups at 1 year ( P = .54), but with better survival at 3-year and 5-year follow-ups ( P = .007 and P < .0001, respectively) in the >70-year-old group. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of biliary, vascular, and graft functional-related complications. Conclusion Liver grafts from selected >70-year-old donors do not pose added organ-specific risks and thus have comparable transplantation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims We studied new-onset diabetes after transplantation ( NODAT) in liver transplantation with grafts donated after brain death ( DBD) or circulatory death ( DCD), focusing on the early post-transplant period. Methods A total of 430 non-diabetic primary liver transplant recipients [ DCD, n = 90 (21%)] were followed up for 30 months (range 5-69). NODAT was defined as the composite endpoint of one of following: (i) Two non-fasting plasma glucose levels > 11.1 mmol/L ≥ 30 days apart, (ii) oral hypoglycaemic drugs ≥ 30 days consecutively (iii) insulin therapy ≥ 30 days and (iv) HbA1c ≥ 48 mmol/L. Resolution of NODAT was defined as cessation of treatment or hyperglycaemia. Results Total of 81/430 (19%) patients developed NODAT. Incidence and resolution of NODAT over time showed significantly different patterns between DCD and DBD liver graft recipients; early occurrence, high peak incidence and early resolution were seen in DCD. In multivariate logistic regression including age, ethnicity, HCV, tacrolimus level and pulsed steroids, only DCD was independently associated with NODAT at day 15 post-transplant ( OR 6.5, 95% CI 2.3-18.4, P < 0.001), whereas age and pulsed steroids were significant factors between 30-90 days. Combined in multivariate Cox regression model for NODAT-free survival, graft type, age and pulsed steroids were each independent predictor for decreased NODAT-free survival in the first 90-postoperative days. Conclusion Early peak of NODAT in DCD graft recipients is a novel finding, occurring independently from known risk factors. Donor warm ischaemia and impact on insulin sensitivity should be further studied and could perhaps be associated with graft function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eguchi S, Soyama A, Mergental H, van den Berg AP, Scheenstra R, Porte RJ, Slooff MJH. Honoring the contract with our patients: outcome after repeated re-transplantation of the liver. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E211-E218. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. The aim of this study was to describe the outcome after repeated orthotopic liver re-transplantations (re-OLT) in a population of adults and children, and to determine whether such repeated re-transplantations are an effective treatment or should be considered futile. In a consecutive series of 867 patients, 628 adults and 239 children, who underwent OLT at the University Medical Center Groningen, 23 patients (2.7%), 10 adults and 13 children, underwent more than two re-transplantations of the liver between March 1979 and October 2008. All 23 patients had a second re-transplantation, and seven of them received a third transplant. The overall actuarial patient survival at 1, 5, and 10 yr after primary OLT was 96%, 87%, and 71%, respectively. The overall actuarial patient survival after the second re-OLT was 78%, 73%, and 67%, respectively. Sixteen patients (70%) survived long term. However, for the 23 repeated re-transplantation patients, 76 grafts were used. In a simulation calculation, it was shown that honoring the initial commitment to the 23 patients ultimately led to more surviving patients and less death than if treatment of the original patients was stopped after the first re-transplantation and the remaining grafts were allocated to other primary graft recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic arterial aortic conduits can be used as an alternative means of revascularizing the donor liver when the native recipient hepatic artery (HA) cannot be used. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common Herpesviridae infection in patients who have undergone solid organ transplants. It can be asymptomatic but may cause fever and invasive disease affecting any organ system. Here we describe the first case in the literature of an aortic conduit aneurysm and concurrent CMV viremia following liver transplantation. We speculate on a causative role for CMV in the development of the aneurysm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]