Hepatopulmonary syndrome: Use of extracorporeal life support for life‐threatening hypoxia following liver transplantation

Geoffrey M. Fleming, Timothy T. Cornell, Theodore H. Welling, John C. Magee, Gail M. Annich – 25 June 2008 – Hepatopulmonary syndrome is an uncommon complication of nonacute liver failure, and in rare cases, hypoxia may be the presenting sign of liver dysfunction. The condition, once thought to be a contraindication, is improved in most cases by transplantation. There is a significant risk of postoperative, hypoxia‐related morbidity and mortality in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Effects of double‐filtration plasmapheresis combined with interferon plus ribavirin for recurrent hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation

Yasutsugu Takada, Takashi Ito, Yoshihide Ueda, Hironori Haga, Hiroto Egawa, Koichi Tanaka, Shinji Uemoto – 25 June 2008 – Response rates to interferon and ribavirin treatment for recipients with recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are suboptimal, particularly for those with genotype 1b and high viral load. The present study evaluated the effects of combining double‐filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) with pharmacotherapy using interferon plus ribavirin after living donor liver transplantation.

Transjugular liver biopsy in patients with living donor liver transplantation: Comparison with percutaneous biopsy

Kyung Rae Kim, Gi‐Young Ko, Kyu‐Bo Sung, Hyun‐Ki Yoon, Ji Hoon Shin, Ho‐Young Song, Je‐Ho Ryu, Shin Hwang, Sung‐Gyu Lee, Eunsil Yu – 25 June 2008 – Transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) is an alternative method of pathological diagnosis in patients with an established contraindication to percutaneous biopsy. Between November 2005 and July 2007, 111 TJLBs were attempted in 67 patients and 95 percutaneous liver biopsies (PCLBs) were attempted in 51 patients with living donor liver transplantation suspected of having rejection.

Reliability of a new ultrasonic cardiac output monitor in recipients of living donor liver transplantation

Bai‐Chuan Su, Huang‐Ping Yu, Ming‐Wen Yang, Chih‐Chung Lin, Ming‐Chang Kao, Chia‐Hung Chang, Wei‐Chen Lee – 25 June 2008 – The ultrasonic cardiac output monitor (USCOM) is a new Doppler device for noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring. The aim of this prospective nonrandomized study was to test the feasibility, perioperative reliability, and clinical applicability of using USCOM as an alternative to pulmonary artery catheterization in recipients of living donor liver transplantation. Thirteen patients scheduled to receive living donor liver transplants were initially recruited.

Graft size, donor age, and patient status are the indicators of early graft function after living donor liver transplantation

Tomoharu Yoshizumi, Akinobu Taketomi, Hideaki Uchiyama, Noboru Harada, Hiroto Kayashima, Yo‐Ichi Yamashita, Yuji Soejima, Mitsuo Shimada, Yoshihiko Maehara – 25 June 2008 – No reliable model for predicting early graft function and patient survival after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) exists. The aim of this study was to establish a new formula for predicting early graft function and prognosis using technetium‐99m galactosyl‐human serum albumin (Tc‐GSA) liver scintigraphy.

Ischemic preconditioning and intermittent clamping confer protection against ischemic injury in the cirrhotic mouse liver

Jae Hwi Jang, Koo‐Jeong Kang, Yuna Kang, In‐Seon Lee, Rolf Graf, Pierre‐Alain Clavien – 25 June 2008 – Surgery on cirrhotic livers is fraught with complications, and many surgeons refrain from operating on patients with cirrhosis. Surgical procedures include temporal occlusion of blood flow resulting in ischemia. The mechanisms of protective strategies to prevent ischemic injury in patients with cirrhosis are not fully understood.

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