Splenic artery steal syndrome after liver transplantation: an alternative technique of embolization

Abstract

Arterial steal syndrome after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is characterized by arterial hypoperfusion of the graft, which is caused by a shift in blood flow into the splenic or gastroduodenal arteries. It causes hepatic hypoperfusion with attendant clinical manifestations of elevated liver function enzymes, allograft dysfunction, and cholestasis. Left untreated, the condition has a significant potential risk for postoperative morbidity and graft loss. Herein we have reported the case of a 68-year-old woman who developed splenic artery steal syndrome (SASS) after deceased donor liver transplantation. She was diagnosed by duplex Doppler ultrasonography and celiac trunk angiography, and subsequently treated with splenic artery embolization.