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The so-called grafts or donors with extended criteria are a risk factor for the development of liver transplant activity. One source comes from controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD). The hypothesis was to verify the improvement in results by comparing DCD liver transplants performed with postmortem normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) vs super-rapid recovery (SRR), the current standard for cDCD. A prospective study comparing both techniques was carried out.A total of 42 transplants were performed with cDCD, 22 of which were with SRR and 23 with NRP from April 2014 to September 2019.Differences were found in early allograft dysfunction (68.1% in the SRR group vs 25% in the NRP group; P .01) and biliary complications (22.7% vs 5%, respectively; P = .04). Differences were also found, although not statistically significant, in ischemic cholangiopathy (13.6% in the SRR group vs 5% in the NRP group; P = .09), and retransplant rate (9.1% vs 0%, respectively; P = .3).With the use of NRP machines, results are similar to the standard donation with donors in brain death in terms of rate of early allograft dysfunction and survival of the patient and graft attempted, reducing the rate of ischemic cholangiopathy compared with SRR.

Background Sarcopenia (SP) and preoperative muscle mass are independent predictive factors for short- and long-term outcome of liver transplantation. Objective To assess the influence of muscle mass index (MMI) and preoperative SP on the prognosis of patients who underwent liver transplantation in our hospital. Methods Ninety-seven patients who underwent liver transplantation in the Regional University Hospital of Malaga from September 2013 to March 2016 were analyzed. SP was determined based on the MMI, as assessed by psoas muscle area at the L4 level measured by computed tomography (CT), with adjustment for patient sex. Two cohorts were differentiated: 54 patients without SP and 42 patients with SP. Postoperative complications, graft survival, and patient survival were assessed. A 3-year follow-up was carried out. Results Recipient characteristics were similar in both cohorts, except for MMI ± SD (group without SP: 94.03 ± 15.43 cm2/m2 vs group with SP: 56.99 ± 13.59 cm2/m2; P = .001). The incidence of postoperative complications (Clavien ≥ 3) in patients with and without SP was 39.5% and 24.1%, respectively (P = .08). SP was not associated with poorer long-term graft or patient survival. Conclusions SP, determined by preoperative measurement of MMI, was identified as a predictive factor associated with a higher incidence of postoperative complications. Since MMI can be easily determined by CT, it should be assessed in all candidates for liver transplantation.

Background Liver transplantation (LT) is a curative treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who are not candidates for resection. Despite the generalized use of the Milan criteria and up-to-seven criteria, new markers have been proposed to predict recurrence after LT. Biomarkers such as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and scores such as the Model of Recurrence After Liver transplantation (MORAL) are used as predictors of post-LT recurrence. Objective We aim to compare NLR, PLR, and MORAL score with Milan criteria and up-to-seven criteria. Methods A descriptive study of 99 patients who underwent LT for hepatocellular carcinoma in our hospital between April 2010 and April 2016. The 5 prognostic models were applied to the patients to stratify them into risk groups. We used a Kaplan-Meier survival plot to measure recurrence-free survival in each model. Receiver operative curves were used to compare the models. Results Three-year recurrence-free survival in MORAL was 91.1% for the low-risk group, 89.8% for the moderate-risk group, 60% for the high-risk group, and 75% for the very high-risk group (P = .003). The combined MORAL score was superior in predicting 1- and 3-year recurrence with the area under the curve 0.684 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-0.85) compared with Milan (0.536 [95% CI: 0.37-0.70]), up-to-seven (0.601 [95% CI: 0.43-0.77]), PLR (0.452 [95% CI: 0.30-0.61]), and NLR (0.542 [95% CI: 0.37-0.71]). Conclusions A model based only on pre-LT radiological signs leads to underdiagnosis of tumor load; therefore, the risk of recurrence must be recalculated after LT. The combined MORAL score was the best prognostic model of 1- and 3-year recurrence after LT in our study.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation have a high incidence of and a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. The primary aim of this study was to assess the influence of bile duct diameter on biliary complications and to determine whether a critical diameter for such complications could be determined. The secondary aim was to identify additional factors associated with biliary complications. Two hundred and seventy-three recipients of liver transplantation with biliary anastomosis without a T-tube were analyzed from December 2013 to December 2018. Patients with a follow-up of less than 6 months were excluded, except for those with biliary complications (including death). Intraoperative measurements of bile duct diameter and other variables potentially related to complications were recorded prospectively, and their association with biliary complications was analyzed. Our results show that neither donor nor recipient bile duct diameters were risk factors for the development of biliary complications. However, bile duct size mismatch between recipient and donor was found to be a risk factor. Additional associated risk factors were arterial ischemia time, arterial complications, bench arterial reconstruction, and intraoperative blood transfusion.

Introduction: Total hepatectomy with temporary porto caval shunt involves an anhepatic phase until liver transplantation. The severity of the patient's state is conditioned by the physiopathologic alterations occurred during the anhepatic phase and the availability or not of organs in the short term. Methods: We report the case of a male patient undergoing liver transplantation for liver failure caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Until liver transplantation, the patient experienced an anhepatic phase of 22 hours secondary to acute vascular failure during surgery. The patient is alive at five follow-up years. Conclusions: Total hepatectomy with temporary portocaval anastomosis in combination with appropriate management of physiopathologic alterations at the Intensive Care Unit improve survival in severely-ill patients awaiting transplantation.

Objective Negative pressure therapy (VAC, vacuum assisted closure) is a method used still in our country. It consists of a system of aspirating a wound by means of a piece of foam and a few adhesive films. It allows the treatment of complex wounds, included (although this is still controversial) those with intestinal fistulas. We present 3 cases of treatment with VAC in this situation and a review of the published literature. Patients and method We have treated 10 patients, since VAC therapy was introduced into our centre of which 3 of whom had a fistula in the bed of the surgical wound. We describe the clinical information of the patients and the therapy that followed in each of the cases. Results Significant local clinical improvement of the disease, with control of the symptoms, was achieved in all 3 cases. We were able to re-operate to close the fistula in one of the patients, with subsequent good progression of the wound. In the other 2 cases it gave them a better quality of life although both died due to the overall complexity of their situation. Conclusions VAC therapy, although controversial in the treatment of intestinal fistulas, can help to improve the local situation of the wounds, the comfort of the patients and their general situation.

A study was made of the arterial complications documented in 400 transplants performed between 1997 and 2006. The patients were divided into two groups according to the type of treatment provided. Group I: invasive management (arterial treatment or re-transplant), and Group II: conservative or symptomatic management. The impact of management on survival and biliary complications was analysed. Results There were 18 arterial complications (4.5%): 10 early (7 thromboses and 3 stenoses) and 8 late (5 thromboses and 3 stenoses). Ninety percent of the early complications were subjected to invasive management (4 emergency thrombectomies, one re-transplant and 3 angioplasties), while 25% of the late complications were treated with re-transplant and the remaining 75% were subjected to symptomatic treatment. Survival after 12 and 60 months was lower in Group II (57% and 42%) than in Group I (90% and 68%), although without reaching statistical significance. The overall biliary complications rate among the patients with arterial thrombosis was 50%. The rate was significantly lower in Group I than in Group II (10% versus 71%) (P Conclusions Invasive management of the arterial complications of liver transplantation is associated with longer short-term survival and significantly fewer biliary complications. In our experience, patients benefit from an early diagnosis and aggressive management of complications of this kind.