Living related liver transplantation in infants and children: report of anesthetic care and early postoperative morbidity and mortality.

STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To determine those infants at high risk for perioperative complications and mortality following living, related liver transplantation.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

SETTING

Large metropolitan teaching hospital.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

The charts and anesthetic records of the 12 infants and children who received the left lateral hepatic segment from a living relative the past 2 years at our institution were reviewed. The records were examined to determine the causes of perioperative morbidity and to identify patients at high risk for serious complications and mortality. All infants and children (mean +/- SD age, 29+/-30 months; weight, 13.6 +/-6.8 kg) survived the operation (8.3+/-1.7 hours) without intraoperative complications. The average blood loss, including 500 mL of recipient blood used to flush the liver before reperfusion, was 1483 +/-873 mL (119+/-70 mL/kg). Three infants developed portal vein thrombosis, and one of these infants also had hepatic artery thrombosis. The risk of vessel thrombosis was significantly higher (3/3 vs. 0/9; p<0.0045) in infants less than 9 kg body weight, as was the risk of death (2/3 vs. 0/9; p<0.045). Both children who died had vascular thrombosis. Other serious complications were bleeding, 6; infection, 7; acute rejection, 3; and bile leak, 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Infants and children can successfully undergo living, related liver transplantation. However, the risks of vascular complications and death are greater in infants less than 9 kg body weight.