Invasion of Artificial Vascular Graft into Duodenal Bulb after Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Abstract

Artificial vessel grafts are used for outflow reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We report a very rare case of invasion of an artificial vascular graft into the duodenal bulb after LDLT. A 54-year-old man underwent LDLT in August 2012. A right hemiliver without a middle hepatic vein was used as a graft. The outflow of segment V was created by anatomizing an artificial graft to the inferior vena cava. During outpatient follow-up, the patient complained of acid regurgitation but did not experience abdominal pain. Panendoscopy was arranged and it revealed that the artificial graft had invaded the duodenal bulb. Operation was performed to remove the graft and the patient discharged after fourteen days of hospital stay. Invasion of artificial vascular grafts to adjacent organs is rare, but happens in living donor liver transplantation. It may be caused by inappropriate vessel graft length and adhesion between the graft and adjacent organs.