Analysis of influencing factors for hepatic artery complications of liver transplantation from donation after citizen's death

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for hepatic artery complica-tions of liver transplantation from donation after citizen's death.

Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 147 recipients who underwent liver transplan-tation from donation after citizen's death in Xijing Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 2015 to June 2020 were collected. There were 109 males and 38 females, aged (46±12)years. All recipients underwent liver transplantation from donation after citizen's death. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) occurrence of hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation; (3) analysis of donor related influencing factors for hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation; (4) analysis of recipient related influencing factors for hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation; (5) follow-up. Follow-up was conducted using outpatient examination or telephone interview to detect survival of recipients up to June 2021. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Univariate analysis was conducted using the Fisher exact probability, and multivariate analysis was conducted using the COX regression model. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative survival rate and draw the survival curve.

Results (1) Surgical situations: of the 147 recipients, 108 cases underwent orthotopic liver transplantation, and 39 cases underwent piggyback liver transplantation. The operation time of 147 recipients was (458±101)minutes. (2) Occurrence of hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation: 4 of the 147 recipients had hepatic artery complications, including 3 cases with hepatic artery embolism and 1 case with hepatic artery stenosis. The time to occurrence of hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation was (5±2)days. (3) Analysis of donor related influencing factors for hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation: results of univariate analysis showed that age, atherosclerosis, fatty liver and arterial variation were not donor related factors influencing hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation (P>0.05). (4) Analysis of recipient related influencing factors for hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation: results of multivariate analysis showed that insufficient hepatic artery blood flow in the recipient was an independent risk factor for hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation (hazard ratio=10.13, 95% confidence interval as 1.05-97.42, P<0.05). (5) Follow-up: 146 of the 147 recipients were followed up for 1 to 77 months, with a median follow-up time of 34 months. The 1-year cumulative survival rate of the 146 recipients was 92.2%.

Conclusion Insufficient hepatic artery blood flow of the recipient is an independent risk factor for hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation from donation after citizen's death.