To discuss the clinical effect of hepatic artery reconstruction using donor′s iliac artery through abdominal aorta bypass graft in orthotopic liver transplantation.

The clinical data of liver transplantation recipients who got hepatic artery reconstruction using donor′s iliac artery through abdominal aorta bypass graft from January 2006 to April 2018 in the First Hospital, China Medical University, were retrospectively analyzed. The observation indexes included recovery of liver function and occurrence of complication like hepatic artery thrombosis. Trying to find what types of liver transplantation recipients should receive hepatic artery reconstruction.

Eight recipients were incorporated into study, including 1 recipient with common hepatic artery hypoperfusion because of splenic artery steal syndrome, 3 recipients with slim common hepatic artery, and 4 recipients with weak or stratified common hepatic artery wall. The mean blood flow of the reconstructed hepatic artery was (315±178) mL/min. Except for 2 recipients with jaundice due to stenosis of the hepatic outflow tract and bile duct anastomosis, the liver function of other recipients recovered well. One recipient was diagnosed as hepatic artery thrombosis 2 months after transplantation, and then developed liver abscess and died of multiple organ failure half a year later. The rest of the recipients still alive and no hemadostenosis and thrombosis were found up to November 2018.

When conventional anastomosis of donor and recipient hepatic artery can not be performed, using donor′s iliac artery to reconstruct the hepatic artery of recipient through abdominal aorta bypass graft can be considered.