Sally E. Tarbell, Beverly Kosmach – 30 December 2003 – Although liver transplantation has become an effective treatment for end‐stage liver disease and liver/intestine transplantation is becoming an increasingly viable procedure for end‐stage short‐gut syndrome in children, little is known about the impact of these procedures on the child's family. Examination of the impact of these transplantations on the family is needed to identify psychosocial factors that may adversely affect the child's physical and emotional health and to plan for preventive interventions.

Tousif M. Pasha, Russell H. Wiesner, Linda M. Dahlke, Michael K. Porayko, Ruud A.F. Krom – 30 December 2003 – Neoral is a new formulation of cyclosporine based on microemulsion technology, designed to provide increased and more reliable absorption of the medication. The aim of this study was to assess whether conversion from Sandimmune to Neoral provides safe and effective oral immunosuppression in stable liver transplant recipients. We studied 59 stable liver transplant recipients (being treated with prednisone, azathioprine, and Sandimmune).

Richard K. Sterling, Velimir A. Luketic, Arun J. Sanyal, Mitchell L. Shiffman – 30 December 2003 – Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a severe, life‐threatening disorder. Previous studies have suggested that intravenous prostaglandin treatment may improve survival in FHF. The present study was performed to further investigate the possible benefit of intravenous prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)for patients with FHF. A total of 18 patients, all excluded as candidates for hepatic transplantation, were studied. Thirteen of 18 participated in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial.

Marc Webb, Robert Puig, Farrukh Khan, Jose Nery, Edward Russell, Andreas Tzakis, – 30 December 2003 – Biliary drainage has long been called the Achilles' heel of liver transplantation, and biliary complications compromise the success of liver transplantation by increasing graft loss and the rates of a required second operation, morbidity, and mortality. One cause of complications is unrecognized anomalous biliary anatomy. We examined 73 intraoperative donor duct cholangiograms (IODDCs) to assess our ability to identify biliary anomalies intraoperatively.

Michihiro Hayashi, Emmet B. Keeffe,, Sheri M. Krams, Olivia M. Martinez, Okechukwu N. Ojogho, Samuel K.S. So, Gabriel Garcia, Joanne C. Imperial, Carlos O. Esquivel – 30 December 2003 – Autoimmune liver diseases (AILD) may progress to liver failure, requiring liver transplantation as definitive therapy, and these immune‐mediated disorders may predispose the patient to more frequent graft rejection. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of preexisting AILD on the incidence of allograft rejection after liver transplantation.

Anna C. Botero, Steven M. Strasberg, – 30 December 2003 – A major obstacle to coherent terminology for liver anatomy and resections has been that American and French anatomists have divided the left side of the liver through different planes. Couinaud divided the left hemiliver into “sectors” by a plane through the left hepatic vein. Healey and Schroy divided it into “segments” through the umbilical fissure.

30 December 2003

P Rosenthal, J C Emond, M B Heyman, J Snyder, J Roberts, N Ascher, L Ferrell – 30 December 2003 – Many centers perform biopsies on transplanted livers annually to assess allograft function because serum biochemical tests do not always correlate with histological findings. Although criteria exist for diagnosing acute cellular rejection, no similar criteria exist to describe the histopathological changes observed in the “normal” liver of an immunosuppressed but healthy child.

A Steib, A Saada, B Clever, C Lehmann, G Freys, S Levy, K Boudjema – 30 December 2003 – Conventional liver transplantation requires cross‐clamping of the hepatic pedicle and inferior vena cava, leading to severe hemodynamic and metabolic disturbances, usually attenuated by the use of venovenous bypass. A more recent surgical technique, piggyback with temporary portocaval shunting, preserves both caval and portal blood flows. The aim of this study was to compare the two methods prospectively. Forty‐ four patients with chronic liver disease were studied.

R R Kemper, J E Menitove, D W Hanto – 30 December 2003 – Approximately 6,000 to 7,000 orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) procedures are performed annually, which require the administration of large volumes of blood products. Thus liver transplantation can significantly strain local and regional blood resources at a time when transfusion practices are changing dramatically, in large part because of anxiety caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.