Liver Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Liver transplantation with preservation of the inferior vena cava in case of symptomatic adult polycystic disease.

Lerut J, Ciccarelli O, Rutgers M, Orlando G, Mathijs J, Danse E, Goffin E, Gigot JF, Goffette P

Department of Abdominal transplantation, hepatobiliary and endocrine surgery, Liver Transplant Program, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. lerut@chir.ucl.ac.be

Adult polycystic liver disease (APLD) is a rare disorder of the liver parenchyma, the treatment of which is still controversial. Conservative surgery may have a significant morbidity and is often ineffective in the long run. Liver replacement may be indicated in case of incapacitating hepatomegaly. Patients (one male, five females) undergoing liver transplantation for symptomatic APLD is presented in this study. The particular nature of this series is the fact that successful transplantation was performed in all cases with preservation of the recipient's inferior vena cava and without use of veno-venous bypass despite massive hepatomegaly and previous extensive liver surgery (in three cases). There was minimal morbidity and no mortality. All patients have excellent quality of life with a median follow-up of 41 months (range: 12-58) as testified by a median Karnofsky score of 90% (range: 80-100%).

Published 11 April 2005 in Transpl Int, 18(5): 513-8.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Liver Transplant Research Today. All Rights Reserved.