Abstract
We examined the prevalence of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients undergoing living-related liver transplantation (LRLT). Seventy-seven patients (37 male and 40 female) underwent LRLT at the University of Tokyo Hospital from January 1996 through December 1999. Forty-nine patients were children or adolescents and 28 patients were adults. The mean follow-up period was 21.3 ± 12.8 months. Nine of the 77 recipients had gastrointestinal bleeding after transplantation. The incidence of posttransplant bleeding was significantly higher in adult recipients than in pediatric recipients (25% vs 4%, P < 0.05). The ratio of graft volume to standard liver volume was significantly lower in adult recipients than in pediatric recipients (41 ± 6% vs 86 ± 26%, P < 0.05). Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) developed after LRLT in 8 patients. Variceal bleeding subsequently occurred in all 4 adult patients with PVT but in only 1 of 4 pediatric patients. Small-for-size grafts may cause transient portal hypertension, which increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
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Hirata, M., Kita, Y., Harihara, Y. et al. Gastrointestinal Bleeding After Living-Related Liver Transplantation. Dig Dis Sci 47, 2386–2388 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020570901035
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020570901035